Intended for healthcare professionals

News

Young Jehovah’s Witness who refused a blood transfusion is allowed to die

BMJ 2012; 344 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.e4097 (Published 12 June 2012) Cite this as: BMJ 2012;344:e4097
  1. Clare Dyer
  1. 1BMJ

A 22 year old Jehovah’s Witness with sickle cell anaemia has recently been allowed to die in the United Kingdom after refusing a blood transfusion, the lawyer advising the NHS trust caring for him has announced.

Robert Tobin, a partner in the law firm Kennedys, was consulted because doctors were reluctant to let the man, who was in a sickle cell crisis, die when such a simple procedure could have saved his life.1

Doctors “looked into the possibility of alternative products, but the …

View Full Text

Log in

Log in through your institution

Subscribe

* For online subscription