Tafida Raqeeb - UK Dispute Resolution Process Is Too Slow

Dominic Wilkinson offers some expert background on the British medical futility conflict between clinicians at Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel and the parents of Tafida Raqeeb.

Dr. Wilkinson writes: "If parents and doctors cannot agree about medical treatment for a child, we think that the fairest way of resolving this is to ask an independent third party to look impartially at all of the evidence and make a judgement about what would be best for the child. That is the role of the court."

Indeed, "the court" has been the resolution pathway for Charlie Gard, Alfie Evans, and many other British children. But it is too slow and cumbersome. If the treating clinicians and their outside consultants are right that the current treatment is not in Tafida's best interest, then it seems cruel to continue that treatment for more than two months (between July and September) so the High Court can adjudicate. The UK needs a more agile and responsive dispute resolution mechanism.