Hospital ordered to feed anorexic woman via tube

A 22-year-old woman who weighed just over 21kg (46lb) on admission to hospital is to be fed through a tube by court order.

The president of the High Court, Mr Justice Nicholas Kearns, said it was a life or death situation and he was making an order to feed the woman, who has the eating disorder, anorexia nervosa, immediately as her medical carers deem appropriate.

He said everybody was trying to do their best for the woman, who is refusing nutritional feeds in hospital and whom the court heard will die if she does not get treatment.