Hospitals and feeding policies

Former Member

Where have you been Kentish?? Sunning it up I bet...

Snapping Croc is right -- no-one came into nursing for the money, most came in for the patients... and most I have to say go that wee bit extra.

For example, when nightshoft came in one night and were getting the report, a woman arrested. The backshift stayed on and never left till half eleven.

Kentish what about forced feeding in cases of anorexia?

Former Member

Panthro wrote:

Kentish what about forced feeding in cases of anorexia?

Yeah so if the anorexic is deemed mentally ill, they can be detained in a psychiatric unit for treatment or assessment of the mental illness. But the Mental Health Act does not allow force feeding even for anorexia. For a patient to be force fed against their wishes, they would have to be shown to be incapable of informed consent, and then their next of kin would be allowed to consent to treatment. If a person is capable of providing informed consent, they can refuse any treatment or examination they like.

Treatments can be provided under common law if no consent is available e.g. in an unconscious patient, to provide emergency treatment only. As soon as the person is capable they can refuse treatment (as sometimes happens in overdose cases).

(And I've been in Africa for 2 months)

Former Member

Kentish wrote:

(And I've been in Africa for 2 months)

Your elective?

Former Member

go_away wrote:

Your elective?

Indeedy. Go to Africa. :thumb:

When's yours, next year?

Former Member

Noooooo 2 years before I even start clinicals.

Former Member

I have found a few references to force feeding;

".Patients who are dangerously thin are sometimes force-fed through a naso-gastric (through the nose) tube. Normally, medical treatment cannot be administered without the consent of the patient, however, in the case of mentally ill patients, their distorted perceptions of reality may render them unable to make a choice."

I am sure in Scotland, the rules of incapacity are different. A consultant makes the decision [obviously taking the families wishes into account] but for example, one man I know was deemed incapable, had no family and had a below knee amputation on the orders of the Consultant.