Doctors can lawfully stop providing life-support treatment to a severely disabled 14-year-old boy in the care of Greenwich Council, a High Court judge has ruled.
Mr Justice Cobb concluded that a move to palliative care is in the teenager’s best interests.
The judge, who is based in London, gave detail of his decision in a written ruling published on Wednesday following a hearing in the Family Division of the High Court.
He said the boy has “profound and multiple medical needs and disabilities”, which have “affected him all his life”, and is in a “critical medical state”.
The judge said he has approved a move from a hospital to a hospice.
Hospital bosses had asked him to rule that life-support treatment could lawfully be ended.
Specialists said a move to palliative care was in the boy’s best interests.
Mr Justice Cobb said the boy is in a foster home, having been taken out of his parents’ care some years ago.
His birth family said they have “trust in the doctors” and his foster parents agree with the “hospital’s care plan”.
Mr Justice Cobb said the boy cannot be identified in media reports of the case.
He said bosses at Guy’s & St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust have responsibility for his medical care.
Mr Justice Cobb said the trust and council had jointly asked him to rule that life-support treatment could end.
Have you got a story for us? You can contact us here.
Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to keep up with all the latest news.
Sign up to our newsletters to get updates sent straight to your inbox.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here