Family of five-year-old boy sent home from Yorkshire hospital because there were no beds 'want answers'

The chief executive of Rotherham Hospital has said an independent inquiry has been launched into the death of Yusuf Mahmud Nazir, who died from pneumonia on November 23 after an infection reportedly spread to his lungs and caused multiple organ failure resulting in several cardiac arrests.

Yusuf's uncle, Zaheer Ahmed, said the family has been promised an independently-led NHS inquiry but what they want is an investigation completely external to the health service.

Mr Ahmed said: "We had a meeting yesterday with the chief executive and the chief nurse of Rotherham Hospital. They gave an apology to myself and the family and they said they wanted an independent investigation led by someone within the NHS but out of the area. But we want a completely external investigation to take place outside of the NHS."

Mr Ahmed said the family is waiting for a reply to their request, saying: "We want answers. They've apologised but that doesn't give us any answers."

He said the hospital leaders told him they were already addressing some issues that have been raised.

But he added: "We want to save other people's lives, we want to save other children from going through this and we want answers - who is responsible, why are they responsible? We want them to reveal the truth."

Mr Ahmed described at weekend how he "begged and begged" for his nephew to be admitted to hospital, but was told "there are no beds and not enough doctors".

Mr Ahmed said: "It's a very difficult situation at the moment. We've still not come to terms that this has actually happened to us. We can't bear that feeling that he's left us. It's just very difficult for the family and parents to come to terms with."

A spokesman for The Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust said: "Dr Richard Jenkins, Chief Executive of The Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust, met with Yusuf's family and again expressed his most sincere condolences to them. The trust will maintain regular contact with Yusuf's family over the course of the independent investigation."

According to Mr Ahmed, Yusuf had complained of a sore throat on November 13, and his parents took him to their GP, who prescribed antibiotics.

They drove him to the emergency department of Rotherham General Hospital the next day when his condition did not improve.

The family waited for hours before Yusuf was seen, but he was sent home even though the doctor treating him had said "it was the worst case of tonsillitis he had ever seen", according to Mr Ahmed.

The boy was distressed, struggling to breathe and could not swallow, his family say. Yusuf's condition worsened while he was at home and his parents called an ambulance and insisted he was taken to Sheffield Children's Hospital.

Announcing the agreement of an independent investigation on Wednesday, Rotherham MP Sarah Champion said the inquiry needs to find out "what went so horribly wrong".

She said: "The Nazir family have been very clear they want no other family to suffer the death of a child in such appalling circumstances. We need to quickly find out what went so horribly wrong.

"I have been assured by the chief executive of Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust that an independent investigation is being launched and I will be supporting Yusuf's family to ensure that it fully investigates their concerns. The circumstances of Yusuf's death are deeply troubling.

"It is vital that the investigation considers the role of each organisation involved in his care and, crucially, communication and co-ordination between them. We need ensure that changes are made to prevent this from ever happening again."

Mr Ahmed told Sky News: "If they would have treated him where we wanted him to be treated he would be here with us now."

He said that staff repeatedly told them that they did not have any beds available.

He added: "They kept saying to us, 'We've got one doctor. What do you want us to do? We've got no beds available. What do you want us to do? We've got no space for him. What do you want us to do?"