Alfie’s parents fail in last-ditch appeal

COURT: The parents of Alfie Evans have failed in an 11th-hour attempt to persuade judges to let them move the terminally ill youngster to a foreign hospital. They say life-support treatment should continue.

THE PARENTS of Alfie Evans have failed in an 11th-hour attempt to persuade judges to let them move the terminally ill youngster to a foreign hospital.

Tom Evans and Kate James, who are both in their early 20s and from Liverpool, say life-support treatment should continue to be provided to their 23-monthold son.

Specialists disagree and judges have concluded that continuing to provide life-support treatment to Alfie is futile and not in his best interests.

Doctors at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool stopped providing life-support treatment late on Monday after Alfie’s parents had lost two rounds of fights in the High Court, Court of Appeal, Supreme Court and European Court of Human Rights.

But the couple, who want Alfie to be flown to a Rome hospital, mounted a “one last chance” challenge. They said their son had confounded specialists’ expectations by continuing to breathe despite being disconnected from a ventilator and provided with only palliative care.

They said he had defied doctors’ expectations and his continued survival amounted to a significant change of circumstances which merited a review. A High Court judge ruled against them on Tuesday and three Court of Appeal judges dismissed a challenge to that decision yesterday.

Lawyers representing Alder Hey bosses said Alfie’s condition was irreversible and there was no evidence that it had changed.

They said the fact that he had continued to breathe unaided might have surprised members of the public but had not surprised specialists.

Barrister Michael Mylonas QC, who led Alder Hey’s legal team, said it had never been suggested that Alfie would die as soon as life-support treatment stopped.

He said the couple’s challenge should be dismissed.

Barrister Sophia Roper, who represents Alfie and takes instructions from a court-appointed guardian, agreed.

Lord Justice McFarlane, who headed the appeal court panel of judges, said Alfie’s parents were trying to take “one last chance”.

But he said there was no prospect of the couple’s challenge succeeding.

He said Alfie was in “the middle” of a palliative care plan.

The two other appeal judges, Lady Justice King and Lord Justice Coulson, agreed. Lady Justice King said there was “acceptance” that Alfie was dying.

In an open letter, chairman of Alder Hey hospital Sir David Henshaw and chief executive Louise Shepherd said staff had been “deeply affected” by the story of Alfie Evans and felt “deeply” for him and his whole family.

They defended staff from what they said had been a “barrage” of abuse.

The letter said: “Our staff have received in person, via phone calls, email, and through social media channels a barrage of highly abusive and threatening language and behaviour that has shocked us all. Worse still, patients and visitors to Alder Hey have also reported abuse.

“We are truly grateful to Merseyside Police for their unstinting support. This has helped us maintain our focus on safeguarding Alfie’s comfort, dignity and privacy, which remains our first priority.”

Sir David and Ms Shepherd added that they had also received many messages of support and thanked the hospital’s supporters.

Our staff have received a barrage of abuse that has shocked us all. Chairman of Alder Hey hospital Sir David Henshaw and chief executive Louise Shepherd.