4 Response Accepted in Part AI-assessed

Reflection period for consent

Recommendation

We recommend that there should be a short period introduced into the process of patients giving consent for surgical procedures, to allow them time to reflect on their diagnosis and treatment options. The GMC should monitor this as part of Good Medical Practice.

Published Evidence Summary
The following publicly available evidence relates to this recommendation:
According to the Government Response (December 2021), the Department of Health and Social Care accepted in principle this recommendation. According to the Government Response (December 2021), the GMC's guidance on consent, updated in 2020, already emphasises that patients should have time to consider information before making decisions and not be placed under pressure. According to the Government Response (December 2021), NHS England is working with Royal Colleges to embed cooling-off periods in clinical practice for elective procedures, with full implementation being monitored. No further specific published evidence detailing the progress of embedding these cooling-off periods has been identified since the 2021 response.
How was this assessed?
Assessed by gemini-2.5-flash on 19 Mar 2026
Checked data held on this site (government responses, progress updates, independent evidence)
External sources searched: www.gov.uk, www.legislation.gov.uk, hansard.parliament.uk
This recommendation asks for cultural or behavioural change, which is difficult to verify objectively. The assessment is based on policy commitments, not measured outcomes.
Jurisdiction
England
Response
Accepted in Part
Accepted in Part UK Government
16 Dec 2021

Accepted in principle. GMC guidance on consent (updated 2020) already emphasises patients should have time to consider information before making decisions. The guidance states patients should not be placed under pressure to make decisions quickly. NHS England is working with Royal Colleges to embed cooling-off periods in clinical practice for elective procedures. Full implementation being monitored. (Source: Government Response, December 2021)

Source
Inquiry Paterson Inquiry
Report Report of the Independent Inquiry into the Issues raised by Paterson 04 Feb 2020
View Source
Responsible Bodies
GMC Primary
Themes & Tags
No person-centred care Inadequate Pre-Operative Risk Assessment Consent Reflection Surgery Gmc
Recommendation age 6.1 yrs
Last formal update 1559 days ago