A Scottish judge has authorised doctors to provide "potentially life-saving" medical treatment to three children after their parents refused consent. The rulings were made by Judge Lord Braid at the Court of Session in Edinburgh.
Two of the cases involved boys from Jehovah's Witness families who opposed blood transfusions on religious grounds. One 13-year-old boy with severe autism and aggressive brain cancer faced a high risk of anaemia requiring a transfusion. The second case concerned a three-year-old boy needing surgery for a kidney blockage, whose sickle cell disease increased the potential need for a blood transfusion.
The third case involved a 10-year-old girl who sustained a fractured wrist and open wound from a dog bite. Her parents refused a tetanus jag and immunoglobulin, stating they preferred natural approaches and disputed the medical science behind the treatment.
Lord Braid stated that while each child came from "loving parents," their welfare was paramount and outweighed any family objections. The cases were brought by Greater Glasgow Health Board and Borders Health Board over a two-week period.