Withdrawing consent
Patients with capacity can also withdraw consent for continuing treatment. If, during a procedure, a patient indicates that she/he wants you to stop, you should stop the procedure as soon as it is safe to do so and then explain the consequences of not proceeding further, without implying coercion. It is important to let patients know that stopping a procedure will not compromise their care.
The rights of patients who lack capacity should also be respected in this regard. If they indicate that they want a procedure to stop because they are in pain or discomfort, their wishes should be complied with, as above.
Scenario 8
Mr D is admitted as a day case for colonoscopy for investigation of rectal bleeding. As he wants to be able to drive himself home after the procedure, he chooses not to have any sedation.
He finds the colonoscopy extremely uncomfortable and insists that the procedure be stopped. This happens just when the surgeon identifies a suspicious-looking lesion in the transverse colon. The surgeon stops the procedure and then explains the situation to Mr D, who agrees to sedation being administered so the colonoscopy can be continued and the lesion biopsied. Arrangements are then made to contact a friend to collect Mr D after the procedure.