Judge allows a caesarean section to go ahead on a patient without her consent

A High Court judge has given doctors the go ahead to perform a caesarean section on a “highly agitated” 25 year old woman with bipolar disorder without her consent.

The woman, named only as AA, was 38 weeks pregnant with her first child and her membranes had ruptured when she was admitted to Great Western Hospital in Swindon on the evening of 26 January, in a “confused and disoriented” state.

She was said to be experiencing hypermania and puerperal psychosis and was detained under the Mental Health Act the following morning. At 9.30 that night Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust made an emergency application by telephone to the out of hours judge, Mr …