It is important to remember that not everyone who has an appointed power of attorney or guardian is unable to consent for their vaccinations. A person may have capacity to consent to vaccinations but would lack the capacity to understand and consent for a more complex treatment like surgery.
A person is able to provide informed consent for vaccination when they:
• Understand and can act on the information they are given
• Can use this information to arrive at decision
• Can communicate their decision to the nurse/vaccinator
• Remember the decision they made or show consistency in decision making. For example, given the same information again, they would make the same decision.
When a person cannot provide informed consent for vaccination, they must have:
• An acting power of attorney or guardian with welfare powers
• A certificate of incapacity under Section 47 of the Adults with Incapacity (Scotland) Act 2000 which is valid for the administration of vaccinations. Where required, this can be requested from the GP.
When attending the vaccination centre, please bring:
• A copy of your full power of attorney document or certificate of appointment for the nurse to review
• The certificate of incapacity under Section 47 of the Adults with Incapacity (Scotland) Act 2000 which is valid for the administration of vaccinations
Verbal consent will be taken from the power of attorney/guardian at the time of vaccination.
For further information on the Adults with Incapacity Act, please visit the Mental Welfare Commission website.
Information for Power of Attorney or guardians
