Hospital. The letter said that Hirano had new basic research findings that he judged made it more likely that the nucleoside therapy could help. At no time did Hirano or the New York hospital claim or imply that it was necessary to send Charlie to the United States; the experimental treatment could be administered at the GOSH, subject to the agreement in London of the ethics committee and of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the United States. The ethics committee in London had declined consent and there is no public record of an application to the FDA being made. The parents said these expressions of support had given them new hope. On 7 July 2017, GOSH made application for the case to return to the High Court. In a public statement, GOSH explained why it had applied: "Two international hospitals and their researchers have communicated to us as late as the last 24 hours that they have fresh evidence about their proposed experimental treatment. And we believe, in common with Charlie's parents, it is right to explore this evidence". The hospital stated it was bound by the previous ruling of the High Court, which expressly forbade them from transferring Charlie for nucleoside therapy anywhere, and the application was made to ask the Court to reconsider the case after weighing the evidence regarding the treatment, and specifically, its ability to cross the blood-brain barrier to treat Charlie's encephalopathy. In its application to the High Court for a second hearing GOSH said that the parents, through their solicitors "not for the first time raised the prospect of criminal proceedings against the hospital and its staff". Legal proceedings The court proceedings were under the inherent jurisdiction of the High Court (wardship), conducted within the principles and provisions of the Children Act 1989. In wardship, the High Court assumes parental rights and responsibilities if an application is made and the court deems the application appropriate. Parents and public bodies have a responsibility to take actions in the best interests of a child. Doctors treat children with the consent of parents; treatment of a child without parental consent potentially exposes the treating doctor to criminal prosecution. If a public body believes a parental decision will cause significant harm to a child, it must ask the courts to intervene to override the parents' decision. It is the duty of the court under its inherent