Hard lessons: learning from the Charlie Gard case (2 August 2017)

Summary

On 24 July 2017, the long-running, deeply tragic and emotionally fraught case of Charlie Gard reached its sad conclusion. Following further medical assessment of the infant, Charlie’s parents and doctors finally reached agreement that continuing medical treatment was not in Charlie’s best interests. Life support was subsequently withdrawn and Charlie died on 28 July 2017.

This paper from Dominic Wilkinson and Julian Savulescu summarises the case and looks at the key factual and ethical questions arising from the Charlie Gard case, and parents’ role in decision-making for children.