British Court Sides with Hospital in Brain Death Case

As in the United States, families of patients declared brain dead sometimes dispute the diagnosis, sending the case to court for resolution.

Recently, clinicians at the Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust hospital in Manchester. declared a 22-year-old man dead on neurological criteria. But the patient's mother disagreed, explaining, “There is an element of life. There are responses.” She wanted clinicians to consult with a foreign doctor known for research on "cell regeneration." 

At a hearing in the Family Division of the High Court in London, Mr. Justice Hayden declared the man dead.