National radiotherapy consent forms

The RCR consent forms are not mandatory but have been developed specifically for UK radiotherapy departments and with extensive advice from a very large expert team including clinical oncologists,  radiographers, clinical nurse specialists, patient and lay representatives, risk communication specialists and legal experts. Using them should ensure patients have clear, relevant and consistent advice about the benefits and side effects of treatment.

There has been input throughout the process from a team of barristers and solicitors.

Most common radiotherapy sites will have their own consent form but they are being developed sequentially. The project has never intended to make a complete set of forms covering every eventuality as this would be too difficult to keep up to date. There is a blank form which you can adapt and use for situations not covered by the site-specific forms.

In light of the Montgomery judgement and the new GMC guidance, patients should be aware of risks of treatment even if that risk is small. This means consent processes need to be comprehensive. The detail should minimise the number of extra points you need to write in for 
each patient.

Not necessarily. We suggest departments use the implementation of RCR consent forms to review consent processes. Could the forms be sent to patients before their appointment? Could another trained professional take consent rather than the consultant oncologist? Is it better to give the patient the form to read and think about at home, bringing it back to their next appointment signed?

The consent form will be more robust if subjected to litigation if it is signed in each place as it ensures that the patient has considered all the possible side effects. It also ensures the patient sees each page of the consent form.

It is recommended that the patient signs this section because patients often go through the process of consent in the initial/ first consultation. The GMC suggests there should be a time measured in days to reconsider their decision to undergo treatment before a procedure. This allows for this step.

This has not been included (with the exception of the RCR palliative consent form) on the advice of the radiographer group. Although it is good practice to keep the patient informed of any changes to their treatment, if the treatment course fractionation is amended from what is written on the consent form, the patient would need to go through the consent process again which can be an unnecessary frustration for the team and the patient.

Yes, the document is an interactive PDF. Please try this online.

The RCR is keen that the RCR consent forms are used as widely as possible and can provide Word versions on request – please contact [email protected].

The RCR consent form can be integrated into your department’s electronic system, however, the content and wording of the form must remain the same as the published online version. If they are adapted for local use, please ensure you appropriately cite The Royal College of 
Radiologists’ radiotherapy consent forms. We would also advise including the review date of the form on the electronic version to prompt checking this webpage for the latest versions.

The documented side effects for each site have been written following thorough consultation so we hope they are complete. If you think we have missed something, please let us know by contacting [email protected]. You can use the interactive pdf versions of the forms to make any changes specific to your practice.

Please contact the [email protected] to see if a form is already in  development. You can also use the interactive pdf of the blank consent form to customize your own.

The review dates of the forms are included in the bottom of each form; please also check this webpage for updates.

Please contact [email protected].

There will also be formal feedback collected on each RCR consent form when forms are 
updated