Consent
Consent
Before giving any first aid treatment a responsive adult must give you their consent.
You should identify yourself and your level of training and ask if it is OK for you to help them by providing first aid treatment.
Expressed consent is where a casualty verbally gives their consent for you to provide first aid treatment.
People over the age of 16 are entitled to consent to their own treatment.
Implied consent assumes that the casualty would give permission to receive lifesaving treatment if they were able to do so. This most often happens because the casualty is unresponsive.
When caring for vulnerable groups such as children and the elderly, consent must be gained from a parent, family member or legal guardian. When life-threatening situations exist and the parent, family member or legal guardian is not available, you must provide first aid care based on implied consent.
