Charlie Gard 8

[cjt110]

New thread so that we can await this afternoon's hearing at 1400 (UK time)

Let's try to keep this one as sensible and measured as the past 7 threads have been.

Please note the MNHQ comment on thread number 7.

"Hi everyone,

..... We had to remove several parent-blaming posts, so we'd like to ask folk not to do this. We think we can all agree that this is a truly awful time for all involved and we just wouldn't wish it on anyone. If there's anything we could do with more of, it's support. We'll continue to remove reported posts that break TGs (if we've missed something, do feel free to let us know).

If we have to make too many deletions, we will need to look at removing the thread; which is the last thing we wish to do.

Thanks all"

She's in.

Court resumed. Gollop: a clinical ethicist is willing to chair the meeting. On that basis, GOSH would not object to Connie Gard's presence.

The idea is that the Chair will oversee the mother's attendance at the meeting and her silence for a portion of it.

maud i wish i could think its gon too far now

Mr Armstrong for the parents objects to the proposed person. Judge is losing patience.

With the best will in the world Connie cannot be guaranteed to remain calm and without emotion in the face of a range of doctors discussing with complete honesty the outlook for her son. Completely ridiculous to even consider it

I'm not so sure it is that ridiculous. I think perhaps the American doctor has had a very distanced relationship with the parents.

If the mother is having difficulty processing things she can't bear to hear, and is perhaps prone to emotional rather than factual responses ... maybe it is better that he experiences what GOSH may have experienced.

It could put him in a better position to make a fully informed decision as per whether going ahead is in anybody's best interests.

Like I said before, I can't climb in the Judges head, but there's more than one way for him to approach a series of issues, and it is possible he is being more skilful than it may appear on the surface.

i dont gt it whats it got to do with who chairs it

Armstrong: we've just heard this. Judge to Armstrong: I have gone out of my way to accommodate your clients' needs.

Do we actually know that the parents have refused scans? Or is this inference from what the judge has said? Bearing in mind that there are reporting restrictions in place, we don't have anything like a complete picture of what is going on.

Judge says he is trying to bring the parties to consensual agreement but says Mr Armstrong is not able to veto the Chair.

Monty - no, we don't know but it's implied from the Judges comments

Judge says Mrs Yates has the right to attend the meeting or not but not to decide who chairs it.

Waits, somewhat cynically, for CA to suggest Trump as independent chair or the Pope.

I'd take the Pope as chair, seeing as his statement has been wilfully misquoted to make it sound like he was a CA member, when actually it was very balanced and included the sentence "we must also accept the limits of medicine and […..] avoid aggressive medical procedures that are disproportionate to any expected results or excessively burdensome to the patient or the family."

monty judge statd i cannot make parnts agree to scans

prtty clear i think

So basically it sounds as if Connie wants to be able to direct the focus or direction of the meeting.

So the needless suffering of poor Charlie is likely to go on till the end of the month.
Awful. Just awful.

Judge says it seems "an entirely good idea" and I've gone out of my way to make sure the mother can attend despite.... 1/2

.. the early reluctance of both the hospital and the guardian. It seems you're (Armstrong) putting another spanner in the works.

Does the mother want to chair the meeting herself??

It is possible the judge is being very careful not to give the parents any ammunition to use further down the line.

at Popey being a CA member. I bet he is high up enough to be admin, or at least a mod.

The judge is doing his best to involve the parents and try a find a consensus with them to prevent them asking fir leave to appeal and causing further delay

It is not abnormal in highly charged cases where one party will do whatever they can to cause disruption and delay

I don't know what coffee the Judge had during the break but someone give him another, quick. Finally resuming control.

Judge: you're putting another spanner in the works. Armstrong withdraws his objection. Judge records the parties' agreement. Chair not named So the chair will be independant and not chosen by CY

The judge is going to ridiculous lengths to accommodate the parents - other parents don't get these privileges. There's no good reason why the parents here should be treated any differently. I hope they'll escalate their demands to a sufficient height that the judge cracks down and insists they get treated like all other parents of children in the unit at GOSH. It's irritating.

The chair of the meeting will not be named. Parties agree to proceed.