To ask what can be done if someone refuses blood tests

[User37272]

My dd 25 has lost a significant amount of weight over the past few months. She’s now a stone underweight. She’s under the general mental health team and they have said she should get bloods done. She’s saying she won’t be getting the bloods done. Is there anything that can be done?

Have you spoken to the team and told them she is refusing to have the blood test and ask what they advise?
Such a worry for you

Do you know why she is refusing the test?

Because unless she is deemed incompetent to make her own medical decisions, the only route forwards is by persuasion, so finding out (gently) what her reluctance stems from , is probably the best starting point

Drug use and has children possibly?

Nothing. If she’s got capacity and understands the risks and benefits then she can refuse.

Could be a few reasons. she is having paranoia due to MH or is taking something she shouldn’t be (not necessarily illegal) and worried about it showing up. Other reason could be she is having physical symptoms of disease and in denial / putting her head in the sand. Or feeling lack of control over her life and trying desperately to cling on to it - could she have an eating disorder?

That is classic anorexic behaviour, to refuse the blood tests. Sorry. :(

I get impression that 'they' can tell from the tests things like whether she's eating normally or has cardiac risk due to malnutrition. Anorexics are clever & figure out that they can control the information flow by refusing blood tests.

Does she give a reason for why she's refusing tests?

They can’t do anything. I quite often refuse blood tests I’m supposed to have because of my needle fear.

@DaveMinion - possibly true but not helpful when someone is worrying over a loved one. Her capacity and autonomy is questionable if she is not free from controlling influences which may be internal (fear, mental ill health, paranoia). It’s not always as straightforward as legal definitions would suggest.

Thanks all. We me and her dad that is think she has an eating disorder. She’s obviously in denial.

@Chiyo666 - there’s a difference between “they can’t do anything” and “they shouldn’t do anything”’ie try to find out why.

Sorry OP - she sounds troubled. I hope she can get the help she needs.

My cousin was often underweight & accused of anorexia... it turned out she actually had a physical abnormality that was later surgically corrected. Being accused of anorexia for so long upset her hugely, my point being there can be other reasons...

What reason is your DD giving for refusing the tests?

If she is an adult and has capacity she can refuse whatever she likes. If she is deemed to lack capacity a Best Interests Assesor can complete an assessment under the Mental Health Act. It is only then can anything can be done without her consent
Either that or she is required by law to provide a blood sample for example to ensure a person is drug free for access to children.

I got to 6 stone and refused blood tests as I was terrified because I am needle phobic but also because I thought I was dying. Eventually I ended up in hospital delirious on a drip and turns out I had crohns disease.

She’s hardly eating. I know one of the reasons is that she’s not keen on the doctors at our surgery. The other reason is that she feels they aren’t needed.

Anorexics will come up with loads of tosh reasons, sorry.
They will section her if she gets thin enough.

They don’t know her weight as she also refuses to be weighed.

What do you think you'll do '37272?

Not really sure these not a lot I can do by the looks of it unfortunately.

No. There is usually nothing much you can or should do. Her health, her body, her choice.
The only time you can intervene is by recourse to section 26 of the Mental Health Act 1983. Detention and treatment without consent is never taken lightly. It would need to be seen that she was a significant risk to herself or others and there were no other options.

www.mind.org.uk/information-support/legal-rights/nearest-relative/nearest-relatives-rights/

The Mental Health Act says that your nearest relative can do various things in connection with your care and treatment. It also says that other people sometimes have to tell your nearest relative things about your care and treatment. These things are called your nearest relative’s “rights”.

The right to ask for you to be detained or put on guardianship
If you have a mental disorder, your nearest relative can ask for you to be detained (kept) in hospital if they think you need to be in hospital, but you do not agree. This is called making an application for you to be detained.

To make an application, your nearest relative must fill out an official form and give it to the hospital. Two doctors must agree that you should be detained (one doctor if it is an emergency).