It is hard to think of a single legal decision in the last 60 years that has so much impact on medical practice. It was followed by a series of other judgements over the following few years that have extended the reach of this decision throughout medical practice.
Some doctors think this decision is about obstetric and surgical consent, and has therefore little to do with them or their specialty. They are wrong. Perhaps the only doctors not affected by this ruling are pathologists.
In fact, any time a decision is made in medical practice, this ruling applies.
Because of the importance of this ruling, I suggest that the ruling be read by orthopaedic surgeons because it has a bearing on their clinical practice and on their medicolegal practice.
https://www.supremecourt.uk/cases/docs/uksc-2013-0136-judgment.pdf
I will attempt to summarise in Part 2.