Work

Last resort as a justification for compulsory nasogastric tube feeding of adults with anorexia nervosa

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Nasogastric tube feeding may be imposed on adults with anorexia nervosa without their consent. Although it can preserve life, it can also cause significant and lasting distress, and it is widely accepted that the intervention should be employed only as a last resort. However, the concept of last resort remains insufficiently defined. Clinical guidance and case law in England and Wales use the term to guide decision-making, but the thresholds by which a particular action can be considered a last resort are varied and ambiguous. Informed by human rights principles, this article articulates the relevant thresholds for last resort decisions relevant to detention, restraint, and high-risk or speculative treatments, clarifying operative meanings by way of a typology.

Source: Medical Law International

DOI: 10.1177/09685332261424924

Authors: Emma Cave, Rachel Jenkins

Institution: Durham University

Language: English

Topic: Healthcare Decision-Making and Restraints

Subfield: Clinical Psychology

Field: Psychology

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: