A newborn baby boy was struggling to survive. Clinicians felt it was not in his best interests to continue distressing and painful medical support, however his parents disagreed.
We were contacted at 5.00 p.m. We advised further discussions with the parents whilst we obtained telephone statements from the doctors. As attempts at resolution with the parents failed we advised the Trust to seek a declaration from the court that the clinicians need not resuscitate should the baby collapse.
As this was likely to happen soon we prepared for an application to the judge, out of hours, ensuring access to legal advice for both the parents and the baby. We asked the high court in London to call in a judge and established communication links between the judge, all the legal representatives, and the consultants.
The circumstances were traumatic for those involved, the legal process adding further strain. We ensured that relations between the parents and doctors did not break down. With a team of lawyers liaising with the various parties, we got the matter before a judge within 2 hours, by telephone, and obtained the declaration asked for.
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