US lawmakers seek permanent resident status for Charlie Gard 'so he can get medical treatment he needs'

The on-going political row over the treatment of Charlie Gard took a new turn today as it emerged US lawmakers launched attempt at granting the terminally-ill 11-month-old permanent resident status to allow him to fly to America for treatment.

Congress took a step towards passing an amendment that it is reported could mean Charlie's parents, who have been mired in a battle with British doctors, to take him to the US without needing their permission.

Jeff Fortenberry, Republican U.S. Representative for Nebraska, tweeted: 

On Wednesday, Charlie's parents Chris Gard and Connie Yates lost the latest fight in their legal battle over his treatment.

The couple had been in disagreement with doctors at Great Ormond Street Hospital in London over a brain scan carried out prior to a gathering of specialists.

The couple said an electroencephalogram (EEG) should be carried out for no longer than 30 minutes.

But specialists at Great Ormond Street, where Charlie is being cared for, said a scan would have to be carried out for at least four hours in order to generate useful data.

Mr Justice Francis has ruled in favour of Ormond Street doctors. He said the scan should "be of such duration" as treating clinicians "may advise".

The judge did not analyse the dispute at a normal court hearing.

He had considered competing written arguments on Saturday, prior to experts gathering at Great Ormond Street on Monday and Tuesday.

But he has made detail of the out-of-hours dispute available to journalists.

Tuesday's meeting of experts, which lasted more than five hours, was also attended by medics from the London hospital.

A day earlier Charlie was examined by Michio Hirano, a professor of neurology at Columbia University in New York, who flew to the UK to see him.

The little boy's parents Chris Gard and Miss Yates want a judge to rule that their son, who suffers from a rare genetic condition and has brain damage, should be allowed to undergo a therapy trial overseen by Dr Hirano in the US.

A spokesman for the couple said the family would not be commenting on the meeting "as this is a judicial matter" and they do not wish to say anything that could potentially harm Charlie's case.

Dr Hirano, who has claimed an experimental drug could potentially save Charlie, attended Tuesday's meeting with a second international expert who is subject to media reporting restrictions.

They were joined at the meeting by the Great Ormond Street team currently caring for Charlie, his mother and an independent chairman, a hospital spokesman said.

On Monday Dr Hirano was given full access to Charlie's medical records and hospital and clinical facilities, including diagnostic images, for four and a half hours.

Great Ormond Street said it would be for the court to decide the next steps regarding Charlie.

Specialists from the hospital say that treatment will not work, and the little boy's life support should be turned off.

His parents, from Bedfont, west London, have already lost battles in the High Court, Court of Appeal and Supreme Court.

They also failed to persuade European Court of Human Rights' judges to intervene.

Mr Justice Francis has considered the couple's latest claims at preliminary hearings in the Family Division of the High Court in London.

He is due to hold further hearings later this month following this week's meetings.