Little boy has been removed from hospital by his parents

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He is very sick, needs constant treatment. His parents have taken him to France.

I don't understand why the hospital didn't notice or alert the police for 6 hours.

The police won't comment on the parents being Jehovah's Witnesses.

It sounds wrong when the statement said he was removed without consent. The child is theirs, should be allowed to be in charge of him, but of course it is he that will lose his life if not cared for and that isn't in his best interests necessarily.

I hope he is found and can be cured.

Hear hear... Not hear head

I've refrained from commenting on these threads but I'm really dismayed at the romanticising going on of these parents' actions and the idea that after travelling for hours with minimal medical care this little boy will have a peaceful passing in the sunshine, far away from the evil hospital and police.
None of us know the circumstances and it's odd to make assumptions like this.
The most we can do is pray that he is safe and as comfortable as he can be, or hope if we don't have any faith.

the NHS (and most hospitals worldwide) are not allowed to release patients to "no care"
as galling as it is, hospices and home nurses are how it is

I found a dying cat in my compost heap before christmas.
the vet refused to do any treatment other than to offer to put it down
her picture is on my profile
after 9 months of kidney and heart failure and skin cancer she's a happy moody mare

cats are extreme, but the medical diagnosis was wrong

medics with children cannot afford to be wrong, so they are cautious

I wish Ashya well. But the comments about tube feeding & battery packs are top notch bullshit (Mrs DV not you). Anyone can do it if they have to. :(

My Dad was discharged from Clatterbridge after 4 months of treatment for throat cancer, put on a plane home & on his arrival I was expected to have set up his feeding tube etc at home. I never saw a single nurse, I followed instructions I found off the internet to get it right.

I will never forget it. The fear you feel when your newborn wont feed, well times that by 1000 when setting up the stuff that will keep your Dad alive & healthy & you have NO medical experience.

If I managed it I'm sure his parents could too

Mrs D, I imagine you didn't just leave though? I'm not saying they shouldn't be with him away from a hospital but the very public search suggests there was no planning for his care or comfort.
What I am saying is that the reality of a long journey against the wishes of the hospital may not be quite the romantic vision and good guys versus bad guys some posters are assuming.

You're right - I have no idea of the parents abilities but neither do others. Which is the reason for my post.

Nerf - I agree. We don't know the details of this case. Children are not the property of their parents and parents do not always know best. To just say that parents can always remove their child against medical advice with no follow up would be dangerous.

IME hospitals generally don't wish to pursue treatment when it is of no benefit to the patients. In our area there is a special palliative care service for children and a hospice so that they can die out of hospital.

I admit I might be wrong about it all Nerf but I, for one, am certainly not romanticising. The way I'm reading it, it's all very grim and unromantic, medically, legally, ethically. No easy choices, no good outcomes.

Caron Keating's husband drove her half way across Europe to get her home to die with her mum. He made it with only a few hours to spare. Desperate people do desperate things. I am just home from a lovely family holiday with my girls in a place we've been visiting for the whole of their lives. If I was in these parents' shoes I can't say I wouldn't take my child and run to a place which was special to us. I think they need to be left alone with their child and I hope they are.

Apparently the little boy has been found in Spain:

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2737458/Missing-Ashya-King-taken-parents-Southampton-General-Hospital.html

Look, the PICU in the hospital I used to work in had to call the Police Armed Response Unit several times. I've known children where court orders had to be enforced so that the children could have life-saving surgery.

Not all parents are nice, not all parents are sensible.

I don't think there's anything else to what I said, and I don't want to argue detail on this type of thread.
So, rather than just vanishing and looking rude, I'm refraining from adding any more.

They wanted proton beam treatment. Hospital refused.

(according to the family)

There is a video of the father explainin their actions on that DM link.

The video is heartbreaking.

No one is saying they or any other parents are idiots, but a blanket policy of allowing parents to remove their children against medical advice without any sort of follow up, would certainly in some cases cause children to suffer in addition to what they are already going through.

Also, I didn't say palliative home care was available in all areas, I said it is available in my area.

Seems plausible enough, on the face of it, doesn't he?

Not the stereotypical treatment dispute involving JW parents either.

I hope this hasn't all been caused by poor communication.

And the worst of it is that they are now in police cells and little Ashya is in a clinic without them

According to sky news the parents have been arrested and are in police custody. Whatever has happened and whatever the reasons I hope they can be released to be with their son soon, as it seems likely he'd want them near whether in hospital or at home.