Opinion ID: 876934
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: untimeliness of the refusal

Text: There is but one remaining factor to discuss with respect to her refusal, that is whether the exercise of that refusal by her was untimely. This is a legitimate issue to examine because it is a ground within the Wigart letter of August 23, 1977, giving the hospital's reason for her discharge. The District Court made no finding or conclusion regarding this factor, except to note that the tubal ligation had been scheduled by a member of the medical staff on August 10, 1977 for 8:00 a.m. on August 23, 1977 and that on August 22, 1977 at approximately 10:00 a.m. Marjorie Swanson informed the hospital's Wigart of her refusal. Upon being so informed, the hospital administrator did not immediately begin to seek a nurse-anesthetist substitute, although he admits that when he was first informed, he found in her a sense of finality. Instead he hoped to talk her out of it, apparently, by convincing her that she was not participating in the sterilization if she did not wield the instrument. Because of his requested delay in her decision, she did not finally inform him until approximately 7:00 p.m. In spite of this, however, he was able to obtain the services of a nurse-anesthetist from Bonners Ferry, and the surgery went on as scheduled. Thus, there was no evidence in the record which would support a finding of untimeliness. Sterilization is an elective procedure, at least in this case. There is no showing in the evidence that the hospital was unduly prejudiced, nor the patient was endangered. The attending doctor testified over objection that in his opinion such notice of refusal would not be timely unless given at the commencement of the employment. This obviously must be rejected because it would lead to the very recrimination that former section 69-5223 was established to prevent. In light of the record therefore, we have no occasion here for us to determine whether in a proper case an untimely notice might outweigh the statutory right of a person to refuse to participate in a sterilization procedure.