What is truly informed consent in medical practice and what has the perception of risk got to do with it?

Making decisions about risk, describing and appropriately explaining risk in medical practice is complex for patients and professionals. In this paper, we investigate how the concept of consent is practiced differently in the UK and Norway and discuss pros and cons of the chosen approaches from a patient safety culture perspective. We argue that consent is a fundamental part of the safety culture and influence on health system functioning and patient and staff safety. Examples from the UK and Norway are used and discussed in terms of how risk perception influences consent processes and practices.