Understanding the Code: working in partnership

In his continuing series looking at the law underpinning the standards set out in the revised Code ( NMC, 2015 ), Richard Griffith considers standard 2, which requires district nurses to work in partnership with the people in their care. Although the right to self-determination and the requirement for consent has been a legal principle in health care for over 100 years, its emphasis has been on providing a defence for health professionals rather than promoting partnership in the district nurse-patient relationship. Recent developments in policy and law have begun to herald a change in emphasis from 'health professional knows best' to a more patient-focused approach to decisions about care and treatment.