Money should never be a factor in any health decisions but it sadly is.

This child reminds me so much of another child I cared for in my work, extremely brain damaged and just lying in a bed or wheelchair for 10 years until they passed away - is that right? Would that child if having the decision to make their selves choose that life?

I too was thinking that if there is no brain activity what is the point?
Is it just for the parents, as they don't want to lose their child?

However if these parents are being told that there is hope even if it's not clear to the extent of recovery isn't it a normal parental wish to give their child every chance?

My own thoughts are now to wait until after this child has been assessed by this Dr from America and then make a decision.

just to lighten things up a bit, lets hope this american Dr does not use United Airlines to come over here or he might need treatment himself.

I am watching with interest the Great Ormond Street Hospital vs the parents of Charlie Gard, and the question i would like answering is who is paying for this court case, i fear that ultimately it will be paid for by the charitable donations made by people to help sick children, the thing that strikes me is that if the hospital has to pay for this court case out of their tax payer grant then they will end up topping up their depleted government funds by using the charitable donations, surely this is not what the people who made donations had in mind when giving the money.

I am also minded by the Ashya King case where the parents removed Ashya from Southampton General Hospital to take him abroad to get a treatment the hospital said would not be applicable, however it was subsequently proved to be highly effective.

Finally anyone who has had any experience of the way that institutions work in this country will be aware that they will go to any lengths to justify their decisions right or wrong and be dammed the consequences, I worry that the professionals in this case could be blocking the alternative treatments offered by the American doctors as this would leave them with egg on their faces if  they were shown to be wrong,  I do hope it is the doctors making the decisions and not some administrator with a different  agenda.

So austerity is now officially over according to Theresa May and of course this has nothing to do with the alliance with the DUP, in no way will this enable the government to give more funds to Northern Ireland to buy support from the DUP, sorry i mean to improve services for the public in a "strong and stable" manner.

I meant in the debate.

I don't know enough of UKIP's policies to comment on the second point.

i do know they are against gay marriage, so does that mean people should be sombre when getting married

Had this information in a news letter, it covers the lie detector issue, and at the bottom in bold raises some concerns for anyone I would think as none of us knows what is around the corner for us in our lives.


Lie Detectors, Weird Phone Calls And Shoving Claimants To The Back Of NHS Queues

According to freedom of information requests made by the Guardian, Capita are still making millions from persuading councils up and down the country to use their discredited lie detector software on benefit claimants.

This is despite the fact that the system was originally developed by Israeli intelligence for use on terrorists, not people needing help with paying the rent. 

And it’s also despite the fact that even the DWP say the telephone-based voice risk analysis software isn’t reliable.  Independent experts have even compared it to astrology.

What it does do very reliably, however, is increase the impression that claimants should be treated like criminals . . . and make a mint for Capita, of course.

Disturbing phone calls of a different kind have been reported by blogger and support group claimant Lisa Egan.  She was called by her local Jobcentre to ask what her ‘aims’ were and quizzed about her former employment as a stand-up comedian.  We’d like to know if other support group members have been contacted by their Jobcentre and asked about their employment prospects.

Though employment, or the lack of it, may soon affect more than just your income and social standing.  If Dame Carol Black has her way it will also affect your chances of getting treated in a reasonable timescale by your local hospital.

Dame Black, inventor of the ‘fit note’ wants to start a national debate about whether the NHS should prioritise treatment for sick workers over those who don’t have a job. 

In other words, if you’re unemployed there’s less point in giving you prompt medical treatment if there are economically active people also waiting for help.  Astonishingly, the chief medical officer at the DWP appears to agree that this is an issue that needs to be discussed.

why am i not suprised i know benefit recipeints are treated as though they are spongers, scroungers, feckless, workyshy, layabouts, please don't tell me i have to add terrist to the list i can't  even spell it

>> and they claim they 'care'

No they don't do they?

They only "care" when they want your vote.

i have always voted since i was old enough, and i encourage my son to vote, however having said that i do have some small sympathy with Russell Brands contention that to vote is to legitimise a corrupt discredited system.

I bet the Tories are going to hold partys to rival those held after the death of Thatcher, a black day for the Working Classes