Archie Battersbee's mother makes last ditch appeal to Health Secretary

Archie's parents have appealed to the UN. (Photo: GoFundMe)

The mother of Archie Battersbee has written an urgent letter to the Health Secretary urging the government to prevent his life support from being withdraw.

The UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UN CRPD) has told the government to keep the 12-year-old alive while it considers an application by his family. 

Despite the UN CRPD's injunction, the hospital trust caring for Archie has said it plans to go ahead with removing his life support on Monday. 

The government is yet to respond to the UN CRPD interim measures.

In her letter to Health Secretary Stephen Barclay, Archie's mother, Hollie Dance, said it would be "an extraordinary cruelty" and a "flagrant breach of Archie's rights as a disabled person" if doctors remove his life support. 

"Archie is entitled to have the decisions about his life and death, taken by the NHS and UK courts, to be scrutinised by an international human rights body. Hastening his death to prevent that would be completely unacceptable," she said. 

"I trust that you will now act immediately, as a member of the government responsible for the NHS, to ensure that this does not happen, and our country honours its obligations under the international human rights treaties which we have signed and ratified."

News
Investigation launched into fire at west London church
Investigation launched into fire at west London church

Investigators are working to uncover the cause of a huge fire that tore through a derelict Methodist church in west London on Sunday night. 

Zia Yusuf says Reform would protect the UK's Christian heritage
Zia Yusuf says Reform would protect the UK's Christian heritage

Reform's home affairs spokesman, Zia Yusuf, has said his party will protect Britain’s Christian heritage if it is voted into power at the next general election. 

Culture change needed to reduce gargantuan abortion numbers, says peer
Culture change needed to reduce gargantuan abortion numbers, says peer

Many women have abortions due to feelings of inadequacy, rather than financial concerns.

Bishop: 10 years on, concerns that led to Brexit have still not been addressed
Bishop: 10 years on, concerns that led to Brexit have still not been addressed

It's not the first time North has spoken of the disconnect between the Church and the working classes.