— In 2023 the court declared in accordance with Patricia's strongly expressed views that it was in her best interests that no forced treatment should take place and that Patricia should be given autonomy to make her own decisions about whether she put on weight or not. Her parents and aunt argued that the 2023 declarations should be lifted so that Patricia could have the treatment the clinicians considered she needed as otherwise she was likely to die soon. The court noted that the hands-off approach, leaving it to Patricia to decide whether to increase her BMI, has not worked, and that without a change to the orders there was no doubt that Patricia would die. Having considered the balance of the imminent risk of death versus the harm which will be caused psychologically and emotionally by the lifting of the orders, the court decided that the balance was in favour of trying to save her life. The removal of the orders would allow the clinicians to work out and do what was best for Patricia.
Full details available at: https://www.mentalhealthlaw.co.uk/Patricia%27s_Father_v_Patricia_(2025)_EWCOP_30_(T3)?id=250426-2318