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LIVERPOOL, England, April 20, 2018 (LifeSiteNews) – A nurse who worked at Alder Hey children’s hospital until this month has published on social media what he says is a scan of Alfie Evans’ brain along with the message that the baby “deserves” to die.
“Up, Alfie’s brain. Down, same age healthy boy,” the nurse wrote about the brain scans of two children that he posted to Facebook this week.
“Sad reality, but IT’S THE REALITY. He deserves to go, he has had enough,” states the message from the nurse who described himself online as a “PICU Staff Nurse at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital and Charity.” A publication ban set by U.K. judges forbids LifeSiteNews from publishing the names and photographs of staff involved in Alfie Evans’ care.
The nurse's post comes a few days after judges set Monday, April 23rd, as the date for the removal of Alfie's ventilation, which will likely cause his death. The Supreme Court denied an appeal earlier today. Parent Tom Evans says he will appeal the ruling to the European Court of Human Rights.
The nurse’s message was posted to the “Dignity4Life” Facebook page. Formerly called “Dignity for Alfie,” the page provides an online space for people who side with Alder Hey Children’s NHS Foundation against the Evans family. It is characterized by opinions that Alfie should be “allowed” to die and that his parents’ supporters are of limited intelligence.
LifeSiteNews reached out to the nurse for comment, but received no response. It was after LifeSite reached out for comment to Alder Hey Children’s NHS Foundation, the NHS England, and the Quality Care Commission that it discovered that the nurse's original post had been deleted, and that his Linked-In profile, as well as his Facebook page, had disappeared.
A screenshot of the nurse’s original post was captured and posted to Alfie’s Army facebook page by page administrator Daniel Evans.
“Didn’t have the balls to say this to any of our family’s faces however now he’s left he’s putting it on social media, didn’t realise he was trained in neurology – nurses not sticking to patient confidentiality, disgusting,” wrote Evans.
“He has left working at AH [Alder Hey] so we can’t report him,” he added.
The nurse is still employed by England’s National Health Service.
According to the National Health Service England’s confidentiality policy, confidentiality is “an obligation for all staff.” There is a confidentiality clause in the contracts of NHS employees, and any breach of confidentiality is a “disciplinary offence, which could result in dismissal or termination of employment contract, and must be reported.”
“The NHS is responsible for protecting all the information it holds and must always be able to justify any decision to share information,” it continues.
NHS staff are warned to be careful and not to talk about “person-identifiable or confidential information where they can be overheard.” They are also supposed to be careful not to leave confidential files easily accessible from computers.
“Don’t share information without the consent without the consent of the person to which the information relates, unless there are statutory grounds to do so, “ the policy advises.
In its ruling today, the Supreme Court sided with the hospital over the parents’ saying that it must be “free to do what has been determined to be in Alfie's best interests.”
Alfie supporters immediately saw the nurse’s post as a violation of Alfie’s rights and what is in his “best interest.”
“I see a violation of Alfie's human rights,” wrote one. “Where is the state’s so-called gaurdian [sic] now? Is this in Alfie's best interest Alder Hey? I don't think so.”
“A nurse or doctor can't breech [sic] a patient's confidentiality, he needs reporting,” wrote another.
The nurse’s post remains on the “Alfie’s Army Official” page.