RD (anorexia : compulsory treatment) [2021] EWCOP 35

Hearing to determine whether it was in the P's best interests to receive compulsory treatment for her disorder.

The 37 year old P has suffered since approximately the age of 13 from an extremely serious and debilitating condition, namely anorexia nervosa. She has undergone several admissions to hospital to try to treat the disorder but any weight gain achieved there was soon lost when she returned home. This hearing was to determine whether it was in her best interests to receive compulsory treatment.

The court ruled that it was not in her best interests. The cycle of compulsory admissions to hospital has been distressing to her. They have achieved very little in the sense that, whilst historically they did improve her BMI to a certain extent, it was achieved under compulsion and probably after causing her distress, discomfort and psychological trauma. Moreover, as soon as she returned into the community, she immediately lost that weight again and did so in an extremely short timescale. She cannot be kept in hospital under compulsion for an indefinite period and, if she was going to lose any weight that she did gain as soon as she is back in the community, it was difficult to see what it is achieving.

Read the full text of the judgment on Bailii