The family of a seriously ill five-year-old girl are taking on an NHS trust in court to try to force doctors to release her for what they believe would be life-saving treatment abroad.
Tafida Raqeeb, from Newham, east London, sustained a traumatic brain injury in February and is on a life-support machine at Royal London hospital. Her parents want to fly her to Italy for treatment but doctors at the hospital, part of Bart’s NHS trust, say it would not be in her best interests and life-support should be withdrawn.
The trust has now asked the high court to adjudicate in the case next month. Her parents, Shelina Begum and Mohammed Raqeeb, have set up a petition urging the hospital to release Tafida for treatment as well as a crowdfunding page seeking to raise £400,000 for the costs of treatment, travel to Italy and legal costs to challenge the trust’s decision.
