The relationship between quality and sanctity of life in medical futility decisions for terminally ill children in England and Wales

Medical progress offers opportunities to save and prolong lives, but with these come ever more excruciating decisions on when to withdraw or withhold invasive medical treatments for terminally ill young children. Parents and clinicians normally need to agree on the child’s medical plan; however, if intractable disagreements among the parties occur, the final decision is remitted to the Family Court in the UK as in most countries around the world. The aim of this paper is to analyse the factors that define medical treatments as futile and the role played by the principles (variously understood) of quality-of-life and sanctity-of-life in the decision-making process both at the juridical and medical level. The paper will analyse court decisions and the academic literature in an attempt to shed more light on these pressing and multifaceted issues. It will then be argued that the interdependence of these factors is essential for making informed and unbiased decisions about the suspension or otherwise of life-sustaining treatments in terminally ill children.