In a letter sent on Saturday, Hollie Dance urged the health minister to “act immediately” to stop her son Archie Battersbee’s treatment. Barts Health NHS Trust, which cares for Archie, appears to be moving ahead with plans to end support at 2pm on Monday. Writing to Stephen Barclay, Dance said: “If this happens, it will be extremely cruel and a flagrant breach of Archie’s rights as a disabled person. “Archie is entitled to have his life and death decisions made by the NHS and UK courts, reviewed by an international human rights body. Hastening his death to prevent this would be completely unacceptable. “I trust that you will now act immediately, as the member of the government responsible for the NHS, to ensure that this does not happen and that our country honors its obligations under the international human rights treaties that we have signed and ratified.” A high court judge ruled that ending the treatment is in Archie’s best interests after considering the evidence. Dance and Paul Battersbee, Archie’s parents, who are divorced and both live in Southend, Essex, failed to persuade appeal court judges to overturn that decision and high court judges refused to intervene. Archie’s parents are supported by the Christian Legal Centre’s campaign. They asked the United Nations for a “last ditch” intervention. The UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities wrote to Archie’s parents and their legal team saying it had “requested from the state party [the UK] to refrain from withdrawing life-sustaining medical care, including mechanical ventilation and artificial nutrition and hydration, from the alleged victim while the case is under review by the committee.” He added: “This request does not imply that any decision has been made on the merits of the matter at hand.” The family said stopping the treatment would be in breach of the UK’s obligations under international human rights law. Archie’s parents have asked hospital bosses to continue treatment until the UN looks into the case. Magistrates in London heard that Dance found Archie unconscious with a ligature over his head on April 7. He believes he may have been participating in an online challenge. Subscribe to First Edition, our free daily newsletter – every morning at 7am. BST He has not regained consciousness. Doctors treating Archie at the Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel, east London, believe he is dead from the brain stem and say continued life support treatment is not in his best interests. Alistair Chesser, chief medical officer for Barts Health NHS medical practice, said on Friday that “further delay” in starting Archie’s “palliative care” would “not be appropriate” without a court order. A spokesman for the Department of Health and Social Care said: “We recognize that this is an extremely difficult time for Archie Battersbee’s family and our thoughts are with them. “We have received the letter and will respond in due course.”
