Informed Consent – Series of Audio Podcasts for the Royal College of Surgeons

March 22, 2017 by Murray Anderson-Wallace

In 2015, almost 60 years of convention in medical practice was legally challenged and overturned in a landmark case regarding consent to treatment.

In this series of three specially commissioned audio podcasts, Murray Anderson-Wallace explores the legal, ethical and practical implications, and discusses the new guidance for surgeons produced by the Royal College of Surgeons.

The first podcast in the series discusses the main principles of the Montgomery ruling and includes a dramatisation based on two real medico-legal case studies involving consent, illustrating the important shifts in practice that are now required to work within the law.

The second episode discusses the benefits of this change beyond the law, and explores some of the ethical challenges of the judgement for surgeons

In the third and final episode, we discuss how surgeons can ease the transition and consider some of the practical implications for surgeons’ professional life.

“The podcasts have been a very successful product for us, and I found our collaboration seamless. It has been good to be able to rely on your professionalism and expertise. I would have no hesitation recommending you and your team, and in fact, I already do anyway”

Katerina Sarafidou, Head of Standards, Royal College of Surgeons of England.

Murray Anderson-Wallace has a clinical background in mental health services and psychological therapy, but has spent most of his career specialising in the social psychology of organisation and applied communications research.

His consulting practice is focussed on supporting organisations, networks and campaigns to tackle significant professional, ethical and social issues in more sensitive, humane and effective ways. Increasingly, he also supports people during serious incident investigations and represents families as an advocate in coronial proceedings.

Murray is Visiting Professor at the Health Systems Innovation Lab at London South Bank University, where he co-leads the Darzi Clinical Leadership Programme, the MA in Social Change.

His practice also includes work as an independent journalist and editor, producing media to stimulate debate about socio-cultural issues in complex human systems.

Murray has been recommended for appointment as a Specialist Magistrate sitting in the Family Courts and – pending approval from the Lord Chancellor’s Office – will begin his judicial role in 2021.

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