The doctors who treated Alfie Evans were motivated by altruism, compassion and professional care

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People leave balloons and toys for Alfie Evans (AFP/Getty)

I am writing in reference to the opinion piece by Steven Woolfe MEP (27 April) regarding the case of Alfie Evans. I believe it to be an ignorant, irresponsible and deliberately inflammatory article, and below I detail my firm rebuttal of Mr Woolfe’s claims.

Firstly, Mr Woolfe is certain that Alfie’s parents have been “sidelined”. This is entirely false, and disrespectful to the professionals responsible for Alfie’s care. Alfie and his parents have had the complete attention of medical and nursing staff at Alder Hey Intensive Care Unit for over a year. Mr Woolfe would do well not to confuse disagreement with dismissal in this case.

I will admit here that I do agree with Mr Woolfe when he states that there is injustice in the fact that legal battles are often too expensive for the average person or family to pursue. However, I firmly reject his calls for reform to our child protection legislation. Our laws, as they stand, protect the rights of the child as an individual, and form the basis of many national policies and practices that safeguard young people from abuse and neglect. Sadly, what the parent wants for the child is not always in the best interests of that child. To unquestioningly put the needs, comfort and safety of a child second to the wishes of their parents would be an injustice. We have decided as a society that we must protect the rights and freedoms of those who cannot speak or fight for themselves, and I do not think that is any bad thing.

Finally, I would like to highlight that Mr Woolfe has made his case as a barrister. He does not, therefore, speak for the medical profession. He claims to fully understand the inner workings of all doctors’ minds; he would have his readers believe he is familiar with clinical decision making. The complexities and nuances of medical science and ethics are, apparently, black and white to Mr Woolfe.

He is wrong.

There is no “groupthink” within the NHS. Doctors challenge and contradict and debate each other on a daily basis, across all hospital departments up and down the country. Clinical practice has its very foundations in evidence and reasoning. If the medical profession had always closed itself off to new arguments, your GP would still be treating every ailment with a course of leeches.

In short, Mr Woolfe has presented several sensationalist claims in an incredibly misleading manner. Alfie’s life could not be saved; the doctors of Alder Hey tried time and again, and did the last thing they could do, which was to fight for what they believe was in Alfie’s best interests. This comes from a place of altruism, compassion and professional care.

I wish I could say the same for the words of Mr Woolfe.

Dr Amy Fitzpatrick
Manchester

Would personal internet logins make the whole place safer?

Why can’t everyone be given their own personal login for accessing the internet? Using such a scheme, anonymous use of the internet would be prohibited, illegal use of the internet as well as cyberbullying and trolling would become far more difficult, and children wouldn’t be able to access inappropriate websites until they reach a certain age. Admittedly, such systems may be hacked, and IDs could be stolen, but new technologies such as fingerprint recognition on personal computers could make internet use ever safer. Some may regard this as an attack on civil liberties, but I for one would have no problem identifying myself on the internet if it could, for example, help prevent the heinous abuse of children.

Dr Daniel Emlyn-Jones
Oxford

The rules of etiquette

I was amused to see that Amazon has introduced Amazon Freetime, which will reward children for being polite to their computer. I think it is more important that children know the difference between a human being and gadget. One engages with a human being with respect, taking into consideration their feelings, and one engages with a gadget according to the operating instructions. Knowing the difference between a human being and a gadget is more important than knowing good etiquette.

Dennis Leachman
Kingston upon Thames

Lessons for the UK in geography and history

Kim Jong-un, the leader of the famously hermit nation North Korea, has crossed into South Korea in a gesture that many are heralding as the start of a new era for his country. Perhaps we ought to invite him to the UK to show us Brits how breaking down borders between nations can lead to greater peace and prosperity…

Julian Self
Milton Keynes

I’ve always thought the decision to leave Europe was a backward step but had not realised how far back Brexiteers were proposing to take us. Stephen Woolfe MEP, as quoted in The Express, tells of “the French conquering us for 300 years” in 1066 after Harold was betrayed by his family. Even further back he refers to a nameless British king, who also suffered a family betrayal, to “the Danish” in 646.

With this view of history there seems little hope for “our nation” under a king called Louis.

Richard Greenwood
Bewdley