Indi Gregory: Ill baby's parents 'give up' legal fight

The father of a critically ill baby says he has failed to persuade doctors to look at "last ditch" evidence which he believed could save her life.

Indi Gregory's parents have been involved in a legal battle to stop her life-support treatment being withdrawn.

Dean Gregory said he and Indi's mother had now "given up" and have asked medics to wait until Monday before removing treatment.

The hospital involved has said it will give Indi the "best possible care".

Mr Gregory, from Ilkeston in Derbyshire, said the new evidence was from an independent cardiologist, but medics treating Indi at the Queen's Medical Centre had told him it created "no new material change to the circumstances".

"The evidence from the cardiologist has been simply swept aside and brushed under the carpet," he said in a statement.

"We do not want to go to court with this, because we have seen how this system works - the judges just rubber-stamp NHS decisions and are not interested in independent expert opinions or any other evidence.

"We have now given up on the legal battle."

Indi has mitochondrial disease, which prevents cells in the body producing energy and is incurable according to the NHS.

Her parents' legal battle has been with Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, which runs the Queen's Medical Centre.

Earlier this month a High Court judge ruled doctors could withdraw Indi's life-support, against her parents' wishes.

Her parents challenged the ruling but their case was dismissed by Court of Appeal judges.

They then failed in an attempt to take their case to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) in Strasbourg, France.

The hospital trust's medical director, Dr Keith Girling, said after that decision: "Cases like this are incredibly difficult for everyone and our thoughts are with Indi's parents.

"Today's decision by the European Court of Human Rights concludes what has been a very difficult process.

"Our priority now is to provide the best possible care to Indi and to support her parents during this difficult time."

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