Scott Matthewson

Call 1996

Scott Matthewson | Call 1996

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Overview

Scott has appeared in a number of Court of Protection cases in the High Court. Scott is regularly instructed by the Official Solicitor, NHS Trusts, local authorities and families in cases involving serious medical treatment for those who lack capacity to make decisions about their clinical care.

Cases and work of note

  • Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust (2022) – Newton J: Whether a woman should be restrained and sedated against her will in order for surgeons to perform a mastectomy.
  • Croydon Health Services NHS Trust v CL (2022) – Mostyn J: Whether a teenager should be restrained and sedated against her will in order to perform an endoscopy to remove an object that she had deliberately swallowed as an act of self-harm.
  • University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust v LS (2022)  – McDonald J: Whether a 32 year old woman suffering psychosis should undergo a caesarean section under general anaesthesia against her will.
  • West London NHS Trust v WH (2020) – Theis J: Whether antihypertensive medication should be administered covertly and against a patient’s will.
  • North Bristol NHS Trust (2) Avon & Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership Trust v KV (2020) – MacDonald J: Whether it was in a patient’s best interests to have radical nephrectomy against her wishes, without which she would have died.
  • A Hospital Trust v HB (2018) – Newton J: Whether a 61 year old with significant cortical dysfunction and probable PVS following cardiac arrest should be actively treated.
    EJW v University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust (2016) – Roderic Wood J: Whether an elderly woman suffering from Alzheimer’s disease should be provided with artificial nutrition and hydration.
  • CD v A Mental Health Trust [2015] EWCOP 74 – Mostyn J: Whether it is in the best interests of a 43 year old paranoid schizophrenic to have a total abdominal hysterectomy to remove possibly cancerous (and very large) ovarian growths which gave her the appearance of a heavily pregnant woman.
  • FC v (1) Kent County Council (2) Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust (2015): Whether the court should force a mentally ill and violent lady living in the community to have treatment for diabetes against her will.
  • AH v (1) Kent County Council (2) Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust (2015) – Peter Jackson J: Elderly man looked after by his wife at home who developed extremely serious and infected bed sores. Whether it was in his best interests to be removed from his home and cared for in a hospital against his own wishes and against those of his wife.
  • Campbell v An NHS Trust (2014) – Cobb J: Whether a young father in a persistent vegetative state should have life-sustaining treatment. Click here for press coverage.
  • Re: JH (2014) – Holman J: Whether an incapable elderly lady with schizophrenia should be forced to have treatment for cancer against her will.
  • An NHS Trust v P [2013] EWHC 50 (COP) – Hedley J: Whether a young woman with sickle cell disease and severe learning difficulties had capacity to decide whether her pregnancy should continue. Click here for press coverage; Click here for further press coverage
  • An NHS Trust v E (2012) – Hogg J: Whether a 38 year old lady with learning difficulties, ADHD and autism should be forced to have a Caesarian section.
  • A PCT v B (2012) – Roderic Wood J: Whether it was the best interests of a woman to have artificial nutrition and hydration withdrawn in circumstances where her level of unconsciousness was unclear (emergency application).
  • An NHS Trust v L (2012) – Ryder J: Whether a young woman suffering from anorexia had capacity to decide whether to accept artificial nutrition (emergency application).
  • Re KA (2011) – Baker J: restraint and treatment of mentally ill patient for Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
  • Re SB (2010) – Hogg J: restraint and treatment of mentally ill patient for aplastic anaemia.