Baby airlifted to Rome for life-saving surgery

A one-month-old baby has been airlifted from Bristol to Rome for life-saving surgery.

The boy arrived at Ciampino airport on Italian Airforce flight C130 at around 18:30 BST on Tuesday, on his way to Bambino Gesù paediatric hospital from NHS Bristol Royal Hospital for Children.

The Times reported Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni personally intervened so the child, who has a congenital heart condition, could be transferred after being told crucial treatment was not available in the UK.

Last year, the Vatican-controlled Bambino Gesù hospital offered to treat British baby girl Indi Gregory who had a rare mitochondrial disease.

A congenital heart can affect the heart's structure and the way it works.

Palazzo Chigi, the office of the Italian prime minister, said the transfer required "a comprehensive organisational effort", which involved the Ministry of Defence, the Ministry of Health, the Italian Embassy and the Consulate General of Italy in London.

It said: "There was full and fruitful cooperation with the health authorities in the United Kingdom, and in particular with the Bristol Royal Hospital for Children."

"The high level of professionalism of the doctors at Rome’s Bambino Gesù Paediatric Hospital together with the efficiency of all administrations involved enabled this complex and delicate transfer to be completed successfully, one of the first of its kind for such a small patient with such a serious condition," it added.

The Presidency of the Council of Ministers , the Undersecretary of State’s Office, Diplomatic Advisor’s Office and Flight Service Office, were also involved.

A spokesperson from University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust, which runs the Bristol Royal Hospital for Children, said: “We worked with Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital to support the safe transfer of a newborn patient to Rome.

"Due to patient confidentiality, it would not be appropriate to go into specific details regarding a patient’s care," they added.

The baby’s Italian father told The Times: “My wife and I are very happy and relieved… [Meloni and the Italian authorities] actively took action to make the transfer of our son possible.”

The father also thanked the British medical team "for smoothly authorising and supporting us and our son through this process".

Last year, eight-month-old Indi Gregory was at the centre of a legal fight before her life-support treatment was withdrawn and she died at a hospice.

Her parents Dean Gregory and Claire Staniforth lost legal bids in the High Court and Court of Appeal for specialists to keep treating her.

The couple also lost a bid to transfer Indi to the Rome hospital for specialist treatment, with the Italian government later offering to pay for Indi’s funeral.

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