Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Archie Battersbee: Who decides when life support ends?

Archie Battersbee: Who decides when life support ends?

Cases like Archie Battersbee's are extremely rare. But when disagreements occur over whether a child's life support should end, they present terrible anguish for those involved, as well as lengthy court battles.

Tragically, for a small number of children who become critically ill each year, medicine reaches its limits, says Prof Dominic Wilkinson, an expert in medical ethics, and Consultant Neonatologist at the University of Oxford.

"For children like Archie, doctors cannot make them better, and advanced medical techniques and technologies may end up doing more harm than good. Sometimes, all medicine can do is to prolong the inevitable."

Prof Wilkinson says that in the vast majority of cases, parents and doctors are able to come together to agree on what would be best for a seriously ill child. Sometimes medical teams may need external help to reach an agreement.

"For example, they may draw on a clinical ethics committee, or independent mediation, or may seek second opinions from specialists in other hospitals.

"In a tiny proportion of cases, if parents and doctors cannot agree what would be best for a child who is stuck on life support in an intensive care unit, the right thing to do is to ask the court to help."

The court does not side with either doctors or parents. It focuses exclusively on what would be best for the child.

Archie's case had been heard in several top courts. His doctors said it would be in his best interests for treatment to be withdrawn.

The 12-year-old had spent months in hospital on life support, since being discovered unconscious at his home in April. The medics treating him at The Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel said he had suffered such devastating brain injury at the time of the incident that there is no way he would recover.

Archie, pictured with his mother Hollie Dance, who asked for more time to allow her son to recover


Archie's parents said they do not understand the rush to end his life-support.

So who should decide that medical care should stop, and how?

Palliative care professor Baroness Finlay of Llandaff hopes independent mediators can be used in future as "adversarial conflict doesn't help anybody".

Speaking to Times Radio this week, she said: "I'm hoping that by the end of the summer we'll have an inquiry into different ways of handling these very, very difficult cases so that there is independent mediation.

"And I say independent because, if it's supplied by the hospital, or it's supplied by the parents, one side may feel mistrustful of the other.

"But to be in the situation of adversarial conflict doesn't help anybody. The parents don't want to go to court. The doctors don't want to go to court. The managers don't want to go to court.

"My worry is that these cases are going forward to court too quickly and too early, and that we need an alternative way of managing the communication between the doctors and the parents, and sometimes others in the family as well."

What that independent mediation might look like is unclear.

Dr Daniel Sokol, medical ethicist and barrister, said sometimes the courts must be the independent adjudicator. But that doesn't stop society drawing judgements.

"When these cases reach the press and social media, a distorted, sometimes one-sided picture of what is really happening is painted," said Dr Sokol.

"Without reading the court judgments or knowing the full details, people suddenly become experts in medical ethics, commenting aggressively on the rights and wrongs of the case, blaming the clinicians, the hospital, the relatives or whoever holds a different position to their own.

"This can cause real harm to the targets of their abuse and may dissuade clinicians from challenging parents in the future, even though the latter may be making decisions contrary to the interests of vulnerable patients.

"I have been told by paediatric doctors that they are reluctant to go against the views of parents, given the torrent of abuse they received in previous high-profile cases."

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
European manufacturers against ban on polluting cars: "The industry may collapse"
Turkish car manufacturer Togg Enters German Market with 5-Star Electric Sedan and SUV to Challenge European EV Brands
Christian Brueckner Released from German Prison after Serving Unrelated Sentence
World’s Longest Direct Flight China Eastern to Launch 29-Hour Shanghai–Buenos Aires Direct Flight via Auckland in December
New OpenAI Study Finds Majority of ChatGPT Use Is Personal, Not Professional
The conservative right spreads westward: a huge achievement for 'Alternative for Germany' in local elections
Pope Leo Warns of Societal Crisis Over Mega-CEO Pay, Citing Tesla’s Proposed Trillion-Dollar Package
Poland Green-Lights NATO Deployment in Response to Major Russian Drone Incursion
U.S. and China Agree on Framework to Shift TikTok to American Ownership
Le Pen Tightens the Pressure on Macron as France Edges Toward Political Breakdown
Czech Republic signs €1.34 billion contract for Leopard 2A8 main battle tanks with delivery from 2028
Penske Media Sues Google Over “AI Overviews,” Claiming It Uses Journalism Without Consent and Destroys Traffic
Indian Student Engineers Propose “Project REBIRTH” to Protect Aircraft from Crashes Using AI, Airbags and Smart Materials
One in Three Europeans Now Uses TikTok, According to the Chinese Tech Giant
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
NATO Deploys ‘Eastern Sentry’ After Russian Drones Violate Polish Airspace
The New Life of Novak Djokovic
German police raid AfD lawmaker’s offices in inquiry over Chinese payments
Volkswagen launches aggressive strategy to fend off Chinese challenge in Europe’s EV market
France Erupts in Mass ‘Block Everything’ Protests on New PM’s First Day
Poland Shoots Down Russian Drones in Airspace Violation During Ukraine Attack
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Macron Appoints Sébastien Lecornu as Prime Minister Amid Budget Crisis and Political Turmoil
Vatican hosts first Catholic LGBTQ pilgrimage
Apple Unveils iPhone 17 Series, iPhone Air, Apple Watch 11 and More at 'Awe Dropping' Event
France joins Eurozone’s ‘periphery’ as turmoil deepens, say investors
France Faces New Political Crisis, again, as Prime Minister Bayrou Pushed Out
Nayib Bukele Points Out Belgian Hypocrisy as Brussels Considers Sending Army into the Streets
France, at an Impasse, Heads Toward Another Government Collapse
The Country That Got Too Rich? Public Spending Dominates Norway Election
EU Proposes Phasing Out Russian Oil and Gas by End of 2027 to End Energy Dependence
More Than 150,000 Followers for a Fictional Character: The New Influencers Are AI Creations
EU Prepares for War
Trump Threatens Retaliatory Tariffs After EU Imposes €2.95 Billion Fine on Google
Tesla Board Proposes Unprecedented One-Trillion-Dollar Performance Package for Elon Musk
Gold Could Reach Nearly $5,000 if Fed Independence Is Undermined, Goldman Sachs Warns
Uruguay, Colombia and Paraguay Secure Places at 2026 World Cup
Trump Administration Advances Plans to Rebrand Pentagon as Department of War Instead of the Fake Term Department of Defense
Big Tech Executives Laud Trump at White House Dinner, Unveil Massive U.S. Investments
Tether Expands into Gold Sector with Profit-Driven Diversification
‘Looks Like a Wig’: Online Users Express Concern Over Kate Middleton
Florida’s Vaccine Revolution: DeSantis Declares War on Mandates
Trump’s New War – and the ‘Drug Tyrant’ Fearing Invasion: ‘1,200 Missiles Aimed at Us’
"The Situation Has Never Been This Bad": The Fall of PepsiCo
At the Parade in China: Laser Weapons, 'Eagle Strike,' and a Missile Capable of 'Striking Anywhere in the World'
The Fashion Designer Who Became an Italian Symbol: Giorgio Armani Has Died at 91
Putin Celebrates ‘Unprecedentedly High’ Ties with China as Gazprom Seals Power of Siberia-2 Deal
China Unveils New Weapons in Grand Military Parade as Xi Hosts Putin and Kim
Rapper Cardi B Cleared of Liability in Los Angeles Civil Assault Trial
Google Avoids Break-Up in U.S. Antitrust Case as Stocks Rise
×