Father loses High Court battle to stop cancer doctors giving his sick 11-year-old daughter chemotherapy to treat her leukaemia
- A man wanted his daughter’s leukaemia treated with homeopathic therapies
- A High Court judge heard the man did not want conventional treatment
- His estranged wife opposed his plan and wanted doctors to treat the girl
- Great Ormond Street Hospital have been told to begin treatment immediately
A man who objected to his sick 11-year-old daughter being given further conventional cancer treatments has lost a High Court fight.
The man disagreed with a treatment plan put forward by specialists.
He said he was worried about side-effects and wanted to explore homeopathic and natural therapies.
His estranged wife favoured a conventional approach.
The High Court has ruled against a man who wanted to treat his 11-year-old daughter’s leukaemia with homeopathy rather than conventional therapies
A judge has ordered Great Ormond Street hospital to begin treating the girl as soon as possible. Medics claimed without chemotherapy and an anti-body based treatment that her
Now a judge has ruled against him.
Mr Justice Hayden said there is ‘no basis’ for the man’s homeopathic option and specialists can lawfully carry out conventional treatments.
The judge, who is based in London, considered the case at a private virtual hearing in the Family Division of the High Court.
He said journalists can report the case but the girl, who has leukaemia, cannot be identified in media reports.
Bosses at the Great Ormond Street Hospital For Children NHS Foundation Trust have responsibility for the girl’s care and had asked the judge to decide what moves were in her best interests.
Specialists say she should continue to be given chemotherapy, and to receive an antibody-based treatment.
But her father said he believed chemotherapy has weakened her immune system, and is concerned that the conventional treatment proposed has side-effects.
He wanted to try homeopathic and natural therapies, including ozone therapy – which involves the administration of ozone gas.
‘I am not waiting for her to deteriorate and get worse,’ he told the judge.
‘Chemotherapy is not the only way.’
He added: ‘There are so many other different therapies I am hoping to try – anything as long as it doesn’t really affect her.’
A specialist treating the girl told the judge that the treatments proposed are the best option.
Doctors said they know of no homeopathic options which would help.
Mr Justice Hayden approved Great Ormond Street’s plan and said doctors should start the treatments as soon as possible.
‘If she receives no treatment then her life expectancy is weeks,’ he said.
‘There is no basis for the father’s homeopathic option.’
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