# Consent for radiotherapy: who takes it, when, and what it must cover

Source: https://onco.cc/protocols/radiotherapy-consent/  
OnCo record `radiotherapy-consent` (Protocol). Data CC BY-NC 4.0, attribute "Data from OnCo (onco.cc)"; commercial use needs a licence.

## TL;DR

Before radiotherapy starts you are asked to agree to it in writing, after someone trained in your kind of treatment has explained what it aims to do, its likely and rare side effects, the other options including no treatment, and anything that matters to you in particular. You should have time to think, you are asked to confirm before treatment begins, and you can change your mind at any point.

## Summary

In the UK, consent for radiotherapy follows the GMC's Decision making and consent (2020) and the Montgomery judgment (2015): the patient must be told of any material risk, judged by what a reasonable person in their position, or this particular patient, would think significant, and of reasonable alternatives including no treatment. The Royal College of Radiologists (RCR) publishes national site-specific consent forms (most sites, plus SRS, brachytherapy and a blank form; current versions from 2025, with Welsh-language versions), written with lawyers, patients and risk communication specialists, which list expected (50% to 100%), common (10% to 50%), less common (under 10%) and rare (under 1%) early and late side effects. The RCR recommends but does not mandate them.

The RCR implementation guidance (2021): consent is taken by a consultant clinical oncologist, a trained clinical oncology doctor, or an expert radiographer or specialist nurse trained in consent for that site; it is documented before the first fraction, ideally days before; it is confirmed before treatment starts (for example at planning); a patient in doubt is offered a second consultation; consent is renewed after a material change such as a new site or diagnosis; and withdrawal is documented. The forms are for adults with capacity only, not for children or adults who lack capacity. Patient-specific risks (job, health, activities, previous radiotherapy, radiosensitising drugs) are written in, and alternatives including no treatment are recorded in the notes. Separately, IR(ME)R 2017 requires employers' procedures to give the person, wherever practicable and before exposure, adequate information on the benefits and risks of the radiation dose. The RCR endorses no commercial e-consent platform and warns that some do not transfer the full signed form to the electronic record.

## Fields

- Kind: Protocol
- Last checked: 2026-11-11
- Also known as: radiotherapy consent form; consent for radiation therapy; RCR consent forms; site-specific radiotherapy consent; informed consent radiotherapy; Montgomery consent; e-consent radiotherapy

## Connected records

- protocols: [Fertility protection before pelvic radiotherapy: ovarian transposition, egg, embryo and sperm freezing](https://onco.cc/protocols/fertility-protection-before-pelvic-radiotherapy/), [Patient identification and pre-treatment time-out in radiotherapy](https://onco.cc/protocols/radiotherapy-patient-identification-and-time-out/), [Pregnancy and breastfeeding checks before radiotherapy](https://onco.cc/protocols/radiotherapy-pregnancy-and-breastfeeding-enquiry/)
- institutions: [American Society for Radiation Oncology](https://onco.cc/institutions/astro/)
- terms: [Informed consent](https://onco.cc/terms/informed-consent/)

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