Hypnotherapy

Yeah, interesting discussion, but to be honest that's a bit of rabbit hole, isn't it?

None of us (here) can really help with an emergency situation of that sort.  

Whatever the law says, and whatever the clinician is willing to do, that would only be effective if loss of life was imminent, and it would only kick the can down the road.  

If the root problem wasn't solved, the poor young man and his family would presumably end up in the same position again, eventually.   

We all have to cope with injections, currently for our whole lives, that's the issue.  

I think it's perhaps more helpful if we focus on what might help the family over the longer term? 

We can't determine the law or critical clinical issues but this group could be quite helpful in terms of sharing experience, ideas and suggestions, as some have already done.   

I suspect it isn't one thing, it will be a combination of things, and they'll have try stuff out and make judgements about whatever is suggested, judgements which only they can make. 

Researchers at The University of Bath (amongst many others) are working on alternatives to injections (https://www.bath.ac.uk/announcements/the-pain-free-injection-alternative-gets-a-boost/). 

That's just one example - there are projects like this (not just based on patches, but on things like Needle Free Jet Injectors (NFJIs) and other systems) all over the world, so I suspect that within a few years the problem may be solved by advancing technology.

But it may be a challenge to bridge that gap, and it would be great if we could help them to do that.  

if a child is Gillick competent then they can give informed consent. Which is not to be confused with the well established principal that in an emergency when a patient (of any age) is incapacitated the next of kin can consent their behalf.

TBH as the law stands the hospital staff didn't actually need your consent to perform an emergency appendectomy if the condition was imminently life threatening.

About the only way a person can refuse (with legal force) emergency treatment for another is if there is a valid lasting power of attorney that explicitly says this. And it does need to be explicitly just saying 'medical matters' isn't enough it has to specifically reference emergency life saving care.

That is based on the premise of informed consent. If a child is unable to give informed consent then parental consent is sufficient. My then thirteen-year-old daughter had a perforated appendix and her ability to do or understand anything, due to severe pain, was zero, her consent for an appendectomy was not sought, parental permission was entirely sufficient.

Well thats complicated. This is what the NHS says, "If a young person refuses treatment, which may lead to their death or a severe permanent injury, their decision can be overruled by the Court of Protection. This is the legal body that oversees the operation of the Mental Capacity Act (2005). The parents of a young person who has refused treatment may consent for them, but it's usually thought best to go through the courts in this situation."

Refusal to vaccinate may lead to death but not in a very proximate way so I'm betting any hospital would want the consent of a Gillick compitant child for vaccination.

I was suggesting that the valium be administered by a clinician, as is often done before anaesthetic is given prior to surgery, or procedures like gastroscopy. As a minor, I think parental permission is enough legally, but maintaining trust is, of course, essential.

yes sedatives are an option, but you'd better tell him you're giving him it and why before hand or you'll run into legal trouble and it'll create lingering mistrust.

Might you be able to get it done at home? Where he is comfortable? Maybe pop some music on his headphones and keep his attention while it happens? Or maybe he’d just like for things to be explained as to what’s happening next and why for each step?

Hypnotherapy might work. How it would be applied I don’t know, but it’s worth a shot in my opinion.

Specialists in phobias might be able to intervene….?

I don’t think hypnosis is the solution, but here are some other practical thoughts, which may or may not be worth thinking about.   It’s probably an amalgamation of multiple strategies.  Something here might trigger a useful thought for you.

1. Is there a friend of more or less his own age who will go with him and who doesn’t fear needles?
2. I believe there are breathing exercises that can help in any stress situation. Would it work if you all have these, as a family (so he doesn’t feel singled out), and do it without mentioning needles or vaccines (except, perhaps, privately, to the therapist)? 
3. Try to avoid turning it into a big parent / child issue, because that’s a cycle that’s difficult to break out of.
4. If you do manage to get him to go, distraction sometimes works on phobias. Take a tablet or laptop and play his favourite TV show, maybe?  
5. Get into some mindfulness and meditation, but again, perhaps don’t mention why. Just say you’re doing it, as a family, and see if you can get someone he relates to, of his own age, involved.  That definitely works on phobias and by coincidence it’s a bit of ‘thing’ with some of the younger generation atm (I was part of a mindfulness group of six in which three were under 18).  If he can just become used to that it may perhaps help him when you do eventually suggest he uses it at the doctors??  Others on this platform may know more about whether this works well for autistic people???
6. Some therapists suggest making people think about the worst that could possibly happen with an injection (a bit of tiny localised pain at most), and without it (lengthier discomfort and perhaps more serious illness, for him or other members of the family). I’m not sure about that one for someone on the spectrum.
7. What may work better, apparently, is a patient person explaining what is going to happen and how, and it’s suggested demonstrating on an orange. Then getting the child to inject the orange, just with water, a few times, until they become familiar with the whole process. 

Best wishes and good luck with it.   

I suspect that obtaining something like a largish dose of oral valium, or similar, before the injection would be more effective.

Me too.   

my understanding is that even hypnotherapists generally don't think hypnosis works reliably on those who only do it reluctantly under pressure from others.