Archie's life support to be switched off unless his parents launch hospice bid by 9am

Archie Battersbee's life support will be withdrawn at 11am, unless his family launch a High Court bid by 9am to move him to a hospice.

His parents plan to file the application by the deadline.

They lost their latest legal appeal to stop doctors ending life-sustaining hospital treatment for their brain-damaged son after a European court said it "will not interfere" with the decisions of UK courts.

The 12-year-old's family had applied to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) to intervene as they fought to postpone treatment being switched off.

But the Strasbourg-based court said it would not interfere with previous rulings by "national courts". Now Barts Health NHS Trust in London has said the treatment will end at 11am on Thursday unless the family apply to the High Court by 9am to move him to a hospice.

It insisted: "Any application will be opposed on both a procedural basis and best interests basis."

The trust said it "continues to put Archie's welfare and best interests at the forefront of its decision making about his care.

It believes that Archie's condition is unstable and that transferring him even a short distance involves significant risk".

But if an application is made, then treatment will continue while the bid is heard, it said.

The family have made it clear they want him moved to a hospice, so he can receive palliative care.

Speaking earlier, Archie's mother Hollie Dance said: "We've now got to fight to see if we can get him out of here to have a dignified passing at a hospice.

"It's just unfair. The fact is as a parent we've got no rights for our children, it's disgusting."

A spokeswoman for the family said: "We think it is completely barbaric and absolutely disgusting that we're not even allowed to choose where Archie takes his last moments.

"Hospices are well and truly designed for palliative and respite care. Archie is now obviously on palliative care, so there is no reason whatsoever for him not to take his last moments at a hospice.

"The hospice has said that they will take him."

The child has been in a coma since he was found unconscious by his mother at home in Southend, Essex, in April.

Judges have heard Ms Dance discovered her son unconscious with a ligature over his head, after she believes he took part in an online challenge.

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