A patient in a northern hospital has begun refusing treatment because he wants to be moved closer to home, the Court of Protection has heard.
The man, who reportedly has learning difficulties, is currently a patient at a hospital in the North West but his family live in the Thames Valley region, the Hereford Times reports.
He is suffering from heart disease but when he began refusing to take anti-coagulant medication, the NHS Trust applied to the Court for a ruling that he could be compelled to accept the treatment or be given the medication covertly.
Mr Justice Moylan heard an outline of the case at a preliminary hearing, saying that the unnamed man’s actions appeared to be a “protest”.
Lawyers from the Office of the Official Solicitor represented the patient in court. They asked the doctors to explain what steps had been taken to transfer him to a hospital in his home region.
Barrister Vikram Sachdeva QC explained:
“The reason he is refusing treatment – he wants to be back with his family. [We are] extremely concerned as to what steps have been taken to move him nearer to his home. He can be moved.”
The case continues.
