The requirement to gain consent has two purposes, one legal and the other clinical (Richardson V, 2013). The legal purpose is to provide those delivering treatment with a defence to a criminal charge of assault or battery or a civil claim for damages for trespass to the person. The clinical purpose comes from the fact that in most cases the co-operation of the person and the person’s confidence in the treatment is a major factor in their consenting to the examination, treatment or physical investigation, or the provision of care.