Page values for "NHS Trust v Parents and S (2021) EWHC 594 (Fam)"

NHS Trust v Parents and S [2021] EWHC 594 (Fam)

Death - child

Five options for the treatment of a 9-month-old baby were presented to the court: (1) continuing the current regime; (2) continuing with intensive ventilation and support care but not escalating treatment if he deteriorates further; (3) extubating him but re-intubating him if he cannot manage; (4) extubating him and giving him Vapotherm or continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) if he cannot manage, rather than re-intubating him; (5) withdrawing life sustaining treatment and giving palliative care. His parents argued for option 2. The Trust and Children's Guardian argued for option 5, and the judge decided that this would be in his best interests: "I understand and respect the parents' views, including their religious views (which no doubt S would share) but it is not in his best interests to put him through so much simply to keep him alive even if he is able to experience some comfort from being looked after by his parents. If he were able to express any wishes about this it is difficult to believe he would choose this sort of existence for himself."