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Conflicts of care
  1. M Ward Platt1,
  2. A Ward Platt2
  1. 1Neonatal Service, Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle, UK
  2. 2Lay Conciliator, Newcastle Primary Care Trust and North Tyneside Primary Care Trust, UK
  1. Correspondence to:
    Dr M Ward Platt
    Neonatal Service (Ward 35), Royal Victoria Infirmary, Queen Victoria Road, Newcastle NE1 4LP, UK; m.p.ward-plattncl.ac.uk

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Could mediation help?

The UK readership of Archives will remember October 2004 for Charlotte Wyatt1,2 and Luke Winston-Jones.3,4 Charlotte was severely disabled following complications of extreme prematurity, and Luke with trisomy 18. In each case the clinical teams believed that active, life prolonging medical interventions would not be in the best interests of the baby. The cases were brought to the civil courts because fundamental and irreconcilable differences between the families and the clinical teams came to an impasse, leaving the respective hospitals with no alternative but to seek a judicial ruling on the management of each child. Observers from other units will either feel that they have been there too, or dread the time that they may find themselves in similar situations.

We should reflect constructively on these cases and be thankful that they remain rare. Most of the time, even in the most difficult situations, we are able to work alongside parents, …

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  • Competing interests: none declared