Galway woman to receive ECT treatment after court decision

The HSE has obtained the court's permission to administer the therapy on the woman who has parkinsons disease.

The Sunday Times reports that on Friday, Judge Nicholas Kearns, the president of the High Court, granted an application taken by the HSE against the woman and her family to ensure that her doctors could administer the treatment.

The woman's doctors believe ECT could help to shock her out of her depressive state.

The woman was admitted involuntarily to the psychiatric ward of a Dublin hospital last year for drug treatment.

Her sons say that when doctors said she needed ECT, she was frightened and adamant she didn't want the therapy.

Her condition has since deteriorated, and the family say that on some days she refuses medication.

Her family accepted the courts decision and that there was little else that could be done to treat their mother.