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Shokrollahi K. Ann R Coll Surg Engl 2010; 92: 93–100

The 'symbolic act of signing a consent form' is just that. In addition, the concept of 'consenting' an individual is not helpful as it perpetuates the patient's passive role and not the 'sharing of information' between equals. Then there is also the issue of understanding (capacity or competence), for if too much information is given, the issues cannot be evaluated by the patient. In this paper, a novel and imaginative approach is described which requires the completion of an RFT form by the patient. When completing this, they put down in their own words the intended benefits and risks of that procedure. It is therefore also 'a “soft" method of assessing capacity'. Such a process puts patients at the centre of their treatment. RFT forms are available for download from http://www.rft.org.uk.