End of Life Children Flashcards
Wyatt
Born at 26 weeks with profound brain damage, deaf, blind and incapable of movement. Dad believed in life at all costs. Doctors said it would be a case of when she dies not if.
Took a balance sheet approach of pros and cons as to whether she should be removed from life support- subjective approach
Re MB
Born with spinal muscular problems. At 18 months could move very few body parts. Parents wanted treatment to continue but doctors didn’t.
Court held that ventilation shouldn’t be withdrawn but other treatment shouldn’t be given
Glass 2004
Severely disabled child that doctors wanted to give morphine to without the parents consent. Led to a fight on the ward.
Parents brought a claim that the doctors had been in breach of art 8 for not obtaining their consent.
Re A 2001
Conjoined twins, Jodie and Mary. Jodie was the stronger twin and Mary was living off of her organs and wouldn’t survive a separation operation. Without the operation they’d both die, with the operation only Mary would die.
Court ordered the operation as it wasn’t in the best interests of Jodie to not operate.
NHS Trust v Baby X 2012
Baby withdrawn from life support against wishes of the parents. Baby had no consciousness, awareness of surroundings and wasn’t in any pain.
Had to have a care package in place for when treatment as X was going to die very quickly.
Re King 2014
Parents removed their child from a British hospital and took them to Spain to get experimental treatment. They were arrested on arrival but then released.
The child ended up back at home and getting better. The therapy was tried and tested so it was reasonable for the parents to try it.
Great Ormond Street v Gard 2017
Parents challenged hospitals decision to turn off life support, appeal dismissed at CoA and ECHR didn’t intervene. Case then went back to High Court with new evidence but was still rejected.
The therapy the parents has been asking for hadn’t even been tried on mice yet so would never have been reasonable for the courts to allow them to try it.
Raqeeb v Begum v Bart’s NHS 2019
5 year old, took to Italy for palliative care. Courts allowed the decision on religious grounds as she had an awareness of her religion and the beliefs she held. She also wasn’t in any pain so it wasn’t harming her.
Fixler v Manchester Uni 2021
2 year old girl with brain injuries and little cognitive function, medical experts said she was in constant pain. Parents devout Jewish people who believed in sanctity of life so wanted to transfer her to Israel.
Rejected as she had no awareness of religion so it wasn’t it her best interests.
Bart’s Health NHS v Darce 2022
Archie found with a ligature round his neck and was only being kept alive by ventilation with no prospect of recovery. Ventilation was no longer in best interest.
Re T 1997
Parents refused a liver transplant on behalf of their child because of the burden of looking after their child after.
Judge ordered the transplant as the parents out too much weight on the burden of looking after the child.
Re B 1981
Baby with down syndrome, required surgery for a blockage. With the survey life expectancy would be 20-30 years. Parents didn’t want treatment.
B made a ward of court and CoA ordered treatment.
Alder v Evans 2018
Condition that destroyed most of his brain. Doctors believed treatment would be futile and not in Alfie’s best interest.
Parents wanted to fly him to Rome to get life prolonging treatment.
Application by parents to prevent withdrawing of ventilation failed.
