By Celia Kitzinger, 25 May 2023 The person at the centre of this case (CG) is in his fifties with end stage kidney disease. He’s been having kidney treatment since 2014 and dialysis since around 2016. In January 2022 he suffered a hypoglycaemic brain injury, likely precipitated by self-neglect and poor management of his diabetes. He’s currently in aContinue reading “‘Last chance saloon’: One more attempt at kidney dialysis or a move to palliative care?”
Tag Archives: palliative care
“He deserves a chance”? Continuities and shifts in decision-making about life-sustaining treatment
the family in this case was holding on to the smallest glimmer of hope to stave off the devastating certainty of loss if their loved one died. Like so many people, they also had a belief that their family member was the one who would defy the odds – he is a ‘fighter’ whose sheer determination will enable him to overcome catastrophic brain injury. They also conveyed their strong sense that the person they knew is still ‘in there’, in the warm and moving body, that looks so different from how one imagines a classic ‘coma’.
An invisible attention bias: A response to ‘The elephant in the courtroom’
I wonder what checks and balances we can put in place to ensure that the case managers, care home managers, District Nurses, GPs, ward managers, or consultants nominally ‘in charge’ of a patient’s care do carry out reviews of these decisions using a best interests approach if P lacks capacity.
Treatment for testicular cancer for autistic learning disabled man
By Celia Kitzinger, 3rd March 2021 There was a positive outcome to the hearing before Mrs Justice Lieven on Wednesday 27th January 2021. After listening to evidence from the treating clinicians and an independent expert consultant in oncology, the Trust and the mother of “RB” (as he is called in the court documents) came to anContinue reading “Treatment for testicular cancer for autistic learning disabled man”
Inviting family into the decision-making process
“I watched as Mr Justice Hayden, with calmness, clarity and compassion deconstructed this fallacy, with the simple but sensitive prompt of “making the decision for him, not for you”. I flatter myself that I have effective communication skills but admit to being unexpectedly moved by watching the judge in action.”
Promoting Open Justice in the Court of Protection 