Charlie Gard to have life support withdrawn
● Judge issues plan to have baby moved to hospice for palliative care
A High Court judge has approved a plan which will see Charlie Gard “inevitably” die shortly after being moved to a hospice and having life-support treatment withdrawn.
Mr Justice Francis had set a timetable to govern the final period of the baby’s life.
Doctors at Great Ormond Street Hospital and Charlie’s parents, Chris Gard and Connie Yates, disagreed over how long he should receive lifesupport treatment.
Medics said he should move to a hospice soon and life-support treatment should end shortly after his arrival. His parents wanted more time with him and said he should receive life-support treatment for a number of days.
The judge yesterday made public details of an order which will result in Charlie dying shortly after being moved to a hospice.
0 The ruling says Charlie Gard will be moved to a hospice, where his life support will be withdrawn
Mr Justice Francis had said on Wednesday, following the latest in a series of High Court hearings, that Great Ormond Street’s plan would take effect if agreement could not be reached by noon on Thursday.
The release of his order yesterday indicates that agreement has not been reached.
The judge’s order said it is in Charlie’s best interests for lifesupport treatment to be withdrawn and for him to receive palliative care.
The order said Charlie will continue to be treated at Great Ormond Street for a “period” of time before being moved to the hospice, which cannot be named for legal reasons.
It said doctors can then withdraw artificial ventilation after a “period” of time.
The order said everyone involved agreed that the arrangements will “inevitably result in Charlie’s death within a short period thereafter”.
Mr Justice Francis’s written four-page order formally rubber stamps arrangements put in place during a hearing in the Family Division of the High Court on Wednesday.
The order was issued by court officials yesterday after the noon deadline set by the judge passed.
The judge has ruled that the hospice cannot be identified, and hospice staff caring for Charlie cannot be identified.
His order does not say when Charlie will be moved and does not specify when life support will be withdrawn.
The judge did not oversee any further hearings yesterday and did not issue any new statement.
Charlie’s parents became embroiled in the new fight with doctors over end-of-life arrangements earlier this week, a day after abandoning attempts to persuade the judge to let their son travel to America for experimental treatment.
Doctors at Great Ormond Street had said the therapy would not help their son and said life-support treatment should stop. Mr Justice Francis in April ruled in favour of Great Ormond Street and said Charlie should be allowed to die with dignity.