LAUSR

Consenting patients for procedures is a regular process for a trainee surgeon. The process of consent has come under scrutiny in recent years due to inadequacies highlighted by legal cases. With over 1.36 million patients attending A&E per year with hand trauma, this is the most common acute referral to Plastic surgeons. To review current local practice by auditing risks and complications from hand trauma consent forms. To develop and implement a standardised pre-printed label including relevant risks and complications for hand trauma. Sample of hand trauma related consent forms audited assessing and comparing the risks and complications sections to a standardised set agreed locally by Consultant Plastic surgeons, cross referenced with literature. Standardised label including relevant risks and complications put into practice then re-audit their use. Use of the new standardised label demonstrated an elimination of omissions and increased adherence to 100% for all the relevant risks and complications. Significant improvements in the process of consent were achieved through the development and implementation of a standardised risk and complications label. This ensures standards from the GMC and RCS guidelines are satisfied; positively impacting on service provision by improving the quality of the consent process.