Pearce v United Bristol Healthcare NHS Trust [1998] [1999]

A medical practitioner advised a mother to delay the induction of childbirth, but the child was then stillbirth. She complained that he should have advised her of the risk of the baby being stillborn.

Judgment held: the law, as indicated in the cases to which the judge just referred, that if there is significant risk which would affect the judgment of a reasonable patient, then in the normal course it is the responsibility of a medical practitioner to inform the patient of that significant risk, if the information is needed so that the patient can determine for himself or herself as to what he or she should adopt.

This is another excellent example of 'reasonable patient' judgment made by the court.