Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 22, 2026

Working with Human Tissues for Translational Cancer Research
Published on: November 26, 2015
Capacity to consent - health-care and adult patients
1School of Law, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK.
Abstract:
As touched on in the last issue, the Mental Capacity Act 2005, which came into force in 2007, provided for the first time a system of comprehensive statutory regulation of the law concerning the care and treatment of adults lacking mental capacity. This article examines the impact of the Act for nurses, in relation to consent procedures for adults today. First, it considers who can decide on behalf of such adults. Second, it explores what criteria should be used to determine whether a person lacks decision-making capacity. Finally, treatment can be given to an adult lacking capacity when it is in their best interests and the article explores what this test means for the nurse assessing the patient.
Related Concept Videos
Nurses' Legal Responsibilities I
The legal responsibilities of a nurse regarding informed consent include the following:
Standards of Care II
Ethical Standards II
Nurses are entrusted with upholding various ethical principles and standards. Nurses forge solid therapeutic relationships using trust, empathy, autonomy, confidentiality, and professional competence.
Confidentiality is crucial, embodying respect for individual privacy and...
Ethical Issues
Ethical Concerns in Healthcare:
Ethical Dilemmas I
Let us explore some examples to understand the potentially complex moral decisions nurses face.
Take the case of caring for minors, particularly in areas related to reproductive...
Nursing Ethical Principles II
Consider the following scenario, which illustrates how these principles are applied in the care of Mr. John, a fifty-year-old teacher diagnosed with metastatic liver cancer.
Initially, Mr. John's cancer...

