Amazing how a bit of a public outcry changes things......

@Sheal, I haven't heard any claims that the kid was snatched. All the reports I heard were that the parents had taken the child against medical advice. No claim of kidnapping or "snatching".

@fat controller, I know what you mean about Jehova's Witnesses being nice people generally. The trouble is that at the more "orthodox" end of the spectrum, they can deny lifesaving treatment on the basis that only god can give or take life. I've seen this first hand. Years ago I knew a family that were orthodox Jehova's Witnesses. The son was about the same age as me. I knew him since we were tiny. When he was about 20, he was a passenger in a car that crashed. He was still alive when the ambulance got to him, but was losing blood. His parents were told that a blood transfusion might save him. They refused to give consent, now that lad is no longer with us. I know that not all Jehova's Witnesses would take that stance, but some do, and I firmly believe that this is the conclusion that the hospital staff and/or police jumped to.

It is my opinion that the only guilty party here is whoever is in charge of the case at the hospital. The coppers acted on the information they were given, and I believe they believed they were trying to save a small boy's life. The parents can not be blamed in any way. They asked for a newer treatment for their child, were told no, so they took the child somewhere they believed he would get that newer treatment. I would do the same in their shoes, as I suspect any parent would. You do everything in your power to protect your children. Going to Spain was in my opinion a very sound choice for two reasons. First and foremost, they simply have a better NHS equivalent than us. I've said for a long time that if I was to get ill, I'd rather be in Spain than here. The other sound reason is that if they rightly suspected that they'd be chased, Spain historically has weak or nonexistent extradition treaty with us compared with other European countries.

I do think its a shame though that Spain chose this case of all cases to cooperate so promptly with British authorities. They could have dragged their heals and being awkward with us like they so often do.

 

When the story first broke it had all the makings of an unimaginable tragedy ("family found dead, suspected suicide" and all that), but thanks to the families clever use of social media it started to appear that there was more to it all than met the eye.

That would have come out of a strategy meeting involving all parties and a moo poo agency (sorry, PR consultants) so as not to be inflammatory.

Fifty fifty whether it was an egotistical consultant or the bean counters who run the hospital.
I too believe that the plod got the short end of the straw in this case.

Where a childs life was (supposedly) at stake??!! Bad PR me thinks.

 

Sad thing is child is a ward of court. So while the parents have won this battle with the weight of public opinion onside at present, they are going to have to work hard to keep a media profile in order to maintain "parental rights" and be considered in future treatment plans.
They are just lucky this didn't go to "family" court, where the details of the case would have been withheld from the public.

 

@clueless1......Perhaps 'snatched' was the wrong word to use but nevertheless the report does say that the parents took the child without hospital consent and without them knowing until they found he was gone.

 

I must have missed that bit in the news, but it does beg a few questions.

1. If it is possible to take a child out of a hospital without any staff seeing it happen, should not the hospital come under very careful scrutiny?
2. If it is possible to get a child out of hospital without anyone seeing it happen, should not every parent who has a child in any hospital be personally standing guard 24/7 at the ward, because clearly the hospital staff can not be trusted?
3. If nobody new the child was gone until it was too late, how did they know it was the parents that took the child?

If that bit of the report is true, then I think heads should roll at that hospital. Any organisation in a position of trust with kids should be very strictly held to account if they allow one to simply vanish.

 

If I'm not mistaken the hospital did know the family had taken their son out for a home visit but when they failed to return they then informed the police.Only heard a snippet of the news so not sure

 

They knew,
Jenny

 

As Lolimac said, the child was out of hospital on a planned visit.
The alarm was raised on the basis the hospital staff had not been involved in the planning of the extended trip and did not know what provision had been made to keep vital equipment working (spare batteries etc).
In this sense it was correct and important to ensure the child was safe.
The police reacted appropriately.
The failure, in my view was before the child was taken, when the family felt that the hospital were being unsupportive of their obviously researched and risk assessed views.
Rather than presenting a persuasive argument the hospital allegedly have resorted to bullying the parents using the treat of law if the parents did not abide by the hospitals' proposed treatment plan.
If the reporting in the press has been reasonably accurate I believe the hospital staff involved have to look at how they communicate with parents, as a reflective exercise.
However we need to consider that while due care is taken in the NHS to respect religious beliefs, if the parents beliefs had impacted on previous treatment, then the child would need to be represented by the courts in order to ensure that the parents beliefs did not impact on his right to life.
We do not know if the child was placed as a ward of court before this incident or during it.
If the child was a ward of court before the incident, the hospital and police have acted in the best interest of the child as technically the child was taken from the court who was the "lawful parent".
It is all very complex and we are judging from the press reports, the hospital will be gagged by confidentiality so will not be able to present their case.
I agree with majority on the thread that emotionally, as a parent I would have done the same as the Kings.
Hopefully the child will respond well to the proton treatment and have many more happy times with his family.

 

I wonder what people in authority within the NHS think now.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-29760659

Apparently the kid has responded well to the treatment that the NHS said would be pointless. Separately, the family daren't come home after their ordeal. Doesn't it just fill you with confidence in the NHS? (or not?)

 

More to the point, I wonder what people in Westminster must be thinking now?