Judge Rules In Favour Of Giving Blood To Jehovah’s Witness During Dental Surgery
A High Court judge has ruled in favour of giving blood to a Jehovah’s Witness during a dental procedure.
Medical staff said that they would not go ahead with the surgery if blood was not available. The patient’s mother refused to sign the relevant documents stating that the patient could receive blood on the grounds that their religion does not accept blood transfusions.
The 28 year old patient, who has not been named and is known only as GK, is unable to consent to treatment because he has severe learning difficulties.
The case was taken to the High Court because the patient’s mother refused to allow blood to be given to her son during the procedure. He was due to have a number of teeth removed last week, but treatment was delayed while the case was presented to the judge.
Notes from a haemophilia nurse confirmed that there were no other methods of giving blood to the patient that were acceptable under the rules accepted by Jehovah’s Witnesses. Judge, Sir Declan Morgan, ruled that blood should be made available for the patient in the event that it will prevent him from dying.
The ruling was made on the 20th August, but it has only just been made public. Sir Declan Morgan said that he had made the decision to allow blood transfusion in the event that it would prevent the patient from dying. He then went on to say that the court and medical staff involved have a duty to protect human life and to prevent against any “degrading” treatment.
He added that it was one of the most “sensitive” cases he had come across.
Sir Declan Morgan, Northern Ireland’s most senior judge, made it clear that blood was only to be used in the event that it would save the patient’s life.
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