During capacity assessment, which practice is recommended?

• A. Make decisions based solely on the clinician's judgement without involving others.
• B. Involve carers or advocates when needed, and act in the patient's best interests.
• C. Ignore capacity issues unless the patient requests.
• D. Always obtain a formal capacity assessment before any decision.

Answer: (B)

Capacity is about whether a person can understand, retain, weigh up information, and communicate a choice for a specific decision. In practice, involve carers or advocates when needed to support understanding and participation, and act in the patient’s best interests. This approach helps ensure decisions reflect the person’s values and rights while keeping them safe. It’s not necessary to have a formal capacity assessment for every decision; you assess capacity as decisions arise and seek a formal assessment if there is real doubt about capacity, but you still support the person and involve relevant others to aid decision-making.