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.