Information and consent for anaesthesia: a postal survey of current practice in Great Britain

A postal questionnaire survey was sent to Royal College of Anaesthetists' tutors in Great Britain and Northern Ireland to gain insight into current practice with regard to information and consent for anaesthesia. Details of consent practice in three specific areas were requested: anaesthesia in general, teaching medical students during anaesthesia and obstetric anaesthesia. Replies were received from 218 tutors (77%). Of these, 72% of departments had a policy on consent for anaesthesia that was in accordance with The Association of Anaesthetists of Great Britain and Ireland guidelines on 'Information and Consent for Anaesthesia'. We identified three areas of concern. Firstly, almost a third of departments (27%) had no policy on consent for anaesthesia. Second, only 18% of relevant departments obtain specific consent for the teaching of medical students on anaesthetised patients. Third, 1 year after publication of the guidelines, 17% of obstetric anaesthetic units, despite stating an intention to alter their departmental policy based on the Association's recommendations, had not yet implemented any changes.