The rule of consent is a significant part of medical ethics and the international human rights law. This can be given in two ways verbally or in writing. For consent to be valid, it must be voluntary and informed, and the adult consenting must have the capacity to make the decision.
However for consent to take place, a patient must have what is known as Capacity to Consent. According to NHS Choices (2014)' capacity to consent (or legal capacity) simply means competency; the ability to implement