Great Ormond Street Hospital has accused an American doctor of giving the parents of Charlie Gard false hope in their fight over treatment of their terminally ill baby.

The hospital said in a statement that it would be giving "careful thought" to what it can learn from the "bruising" court fight, after Charlie's parents withdrew their application to take him to the US for treatment.

Michio Hirano offered to help Chris Gard and Connie Yates in their fight and travelled to London last week to examine Charlie for the first time and discuss the case with GOSH doctors.

In a statement read out at the High Court, Katie Gollop QC said the hospital hoped that those, like Professor Hirano, who "have provided the opinions that have so sustained Charlie's parents, their hopes and thus this protracted litigation with its many consequences, will also find much upon which to reflect".

Charlie's father breaks down as he reads out statement

The hospital said Professor Hirano had a financial interest in the Nucleoside Bypass Therapy (NBT) he said could help Charlie.


Sky News has attempted to contact Professor Hirano to get his response to GOSH's statement.

The hospital revealed on Saturday that it had contacted police following death threats and a "shocking and disgraceful tide" of hostility over the case.

Charlie's parents said they faced a "backlash" after the revelation, adding that they "do not and have not ever condoned any threatening or abusive remarks" towards GOSH staff.

Lord Winston: Parents have made the right decision

The hospital had hoped Professor Hirano would be able to give Charlie's family renewed optimism, but said it had listened to his evidence to the court with "increasing surprise and disappointment".

"On 13 July he stated that not only had he not visited the hospital to examine Charlie but in addition, he had not read Charlie's contemporaneous medical records or viewed Charlie's brain imaging or read all of the second opinions about Charlie's condition (obtained from experts all of whom had taken the opportunity to examine him and consider his records) or even read the Judge's decision made on 11 April," the statement said.

"Further, GOSH was concerned to hear the professor state, for the first time, whilst in the witness box, that he retains a financial interest in some of the NBT compounds he proposed prescribing for Charlie.

"Devastatingly, the information obtained since 13 July gives no cause for optimism.

Gard family 'don't condone' threats

"Rather, it confirms that whilst NBT may well assist others in the future, it cannot and could not have assisted Charlie."

Defending Dr Hirano, Art Estopinan, whose son has been treated with experimental drugs in the US, told Sky News: "I believe that Dr Hirano is an angel. He's a saint. He saved my son and he's saved about 16 or 18 other children around the world with these devastating diseases."

Describing Dr Hirano as "a brilliant scientist", he accused GOSH doctors of shamefully allowing Charlie Gard to "waste away for eight months".

But Lord Robert Winston, Professor of Science and Society at Imperial College London, told Sky News that GOSH staff have just as much knowledge of Charlie's condition as other doctors across the world.

Campaigner slams Charlie's 'shameful' treatment

He said: "I have looked up Dr Hirano and what he has written - the fact of the matter is that they have not published details which show that they clearly could have changed this boy's life and the prognosis of the disease.

"I have to say it was rather wicked to give the parents the idea that somehow had this baby been treated earlier it would have made a difference.

"That is not our experience with this disease."

In its statement the hospital also paid tribute to the "bravery" of the decision made by Charlie's parents and concluded: "All of GOSH's thoughts go with Charlie and his mother and father - the hospital wishes each of them peace in their hearts at the end of this day and each day to come."