Discussion
This research involved women who had capacity to consent but were unable
to go through the full consent processes due to the emergency nature of
the situation. Whilst there is some debate around competence to consent
in labour,2 women in this study appeared to understand
the information given during the emergency situation. They also found
the initial verbal consent process acceptable in the circumstances, and
many women felt the decision to participate was straightforward. It was
interesting that some women made a conscious choice that they did not
want information in advance of an emergency occurring, and some had
chosen not to engage with information they had been provided with
antenatally.10 For clinicians who were seeking consent
from the women, this meant that many women did not have a prior depth of
understanding of the study. The consenting clinician therefore had to
convey the main study details within a short timeframe, which some found
challenging.