Hospital permitted by court not to ventilate brain-injured woman suffering 'litany of conditions'

A hospital has secured interim High Court orders allowing it not to resuscitate a brain injured woman, aged in her fifties, with “a litany of conditions” and a “very poor” prognosis.

David Leahy BL said it was a “grave” application for orders permitting clinicians not to ventilate or resuscitate the woman should she suffer cardiac arrest as they considered that would further deteriorate her already very compromised position, was not in her best interests and would not alter her prognosis.