London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust v M & Ors [2022] EWCOP 13

Application by the NHS Trust for a declaration to allow them to put M on palliative care pathway and for artificial life-prolonging treatments to be discontinued.

M was a young man who had a cardiac arrest possibly arising from untreated type 1 diabetes. He was resuscitated but his health deteriorated in hospital and he was transferred to a rehabilitation unit for assessment. Problems with providing nutrition led the treating clinicians to suggest that he be given palliative care only. The family objected but during these proceedings it became clear that, if M were transferred to another unit the clinicians there would agree with their colleagues.

In this judgment, Mrs Justice Judd reviews the clinical evidence and that of the family before directing herself that the matter for the court to determine is what is in M’s best interests, although only on the basis of the options that are available. She concludes that the medical evidence is “unanimous, compelling, and overwhelming” that continuing treatment will only prolong life by a few weeks but with no gain in M’s quality of life so she granted the declarations. In the event M died before the care plan was put into action.. 

Read the judgment on Bailii