The High court has granted a HSE order to allow doctors to force feed a woman with severe anorexia via gastric tube.
The court granted the order after the HSE submitted an urgent application to the High Court yesterday afternoon. During the hearing the court was told of how the young woman believed to be in her 20s, suffers from a severe form of anorexia nervosa. The young woman in question has been subject to court orders in the past which allowed doctors to force feed her through a gastric tube.
The young woman who has not been named because of legal reasons was only discharged from hospital to the care of her parents earlier this month, however she was quickly readmitted to hospital last week after being referred by a health care professional .
The application outlined that the young woman had expressed suicidal ideation and that her weight has dangerously dropped again and she is refusing to accept treatment. The court also heard testimony from a psychiatrist who strongly believes that the young woman has no longer the necessary mental capacity to make formal decisions.
Mr Justice Raymond Fulham subsequently agreed to reinstate the outstanding orders to allow doctors to sedate the young woman so that she can be fed through a tube as necessary.