Parents and grandmother accused of ‘tampering’ with woman’s medical equipment

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Healthcare bosses have accused the parents and grandmother of a woman with a rare degenerative neurological condition of “tampering” with medical equipment.

They said the relatives messed with tubes and equipment settings and put the woman, who is in her late 20s and lives in a specialist unit, at risk by “interfering during her medical care”.

Lawyers representing an integrated care board with responsibilities for the woman’s treatment have asked a judge in a specialist court to make findings.

Mr Justice Hayden is overseeing a hearing in the Court of Protection, where judges analyse issues relating to people who lack the mental capacity to make decisions for themselves, at the Royal Courts of Justice complex in London.

The judge suggested the litigation is unusual, telling Wednesday’s hearing: “In 10 years I have never had to try a case like this in the Court of Protection.”

He ruled that neither the woman, the unit where she is being treated nor the care board involved can be identified in media reports.

The parents and grandmother dispute the allegations and have accused staff at the unit of “failing to care” for the woman “properly”.

Mr Justice Hayden was told the woman’s father made “covert recordings” without the knowledge of staff at the unit.

Lawyers said more than “24 hours’ worth of covert recordings” had been disclosed by the woman’s father.

Thirteen months ago, Mr Justice Hayden bound the parents and grandmother to the terms of a “behavioural framework” after bosses at a hospital where the woman was previously treated raised concerns about clinical staff being spoken to in an “intimidating way”.

The judge said, in a ruling published in June 2022, the order was aimed at putting in place “clear boundaries” to “manage the family’s behaviour”.

After considering the woman’s case at an earlier Court of Protection hearing, he said “injunctive relief” was needed.