Family who heard laughing as son died says Yorkshire hospital made 'catalogue of catastrophic errors'
A family who heard staff laughing as their son's life support was turned off received "poor bereavement" care and "substantially inadequate" cultural sensitivity from an NHS trust.
Muhammad Ayaan Haroon, known as Ayaan, died on March 13, 2023, in Sheffield Children's Hospital, only eight days after he was brought in with breathing difficulties. Aayan had a history of respiratory problems and a rare genetic condition named Hace 1.
Ayaan's father, Haroon Rashid, 42, has complained about a "catalogue of catastrophic errors" relating to the care of his son, which he believes "cost Ayaan his life."
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A preliminary report into Ayaan's death by Niche Health and Social Care Consulting was produced in response to the grievances raised by the family, identifying that aspects of the care provided failed to uphold expected standards and made 15 suggestions for improvement. However, the report ultimately determined that while certain actions like earlier intensive care, prompter chest drain insertion, and quicker intubation could have slightly improved survival odds, they would not likely have altered the final outcome.
In light of these findings, Mr. Rashid is urging for a second investigation, stating his distrust in the initial report and insisting it omits important particulars from the last days of Ayaan's life.
Taxi driver Mr Rashid, who is also a father to three older daughters, said: "Although it's very critical of the care my son received, the main thing for us as a family is despite it saying his care was mismanaged, it still says the outcome would not have changed. We as a family can't accept that.
"The way I see it there was a catalogue of catastrophic errors that were made... that cost him his life.
"We want a second investigation, for the truth and for the report to reflect the true care that my son received. Our ultimate goal is for genuine lessons to be learned."
According to the report, Ayaan had been admitted to Sheffield Children's Hospital five times due to respiratory illnesses throughout his short life. On each admission, there was an apparent increase in both the severity of symptoms and the level of treatment required.
On March 5, 2023, after becoming unwell at home, Ayaan was taken to hospital with a lower respiratory tract infection. His condition worsened, necessitating a transfer to the paediatric intensive care unit (PICU), where he tragically died on March 13 from an overwhelming disseminated adenovirus bronchopneumonia.
Out of a total of 736 complaints lodged by Ayaan's family, the investigators found in their favour on 307 points (42%), partly upheld another 171 (23%), found no issues with 174 points (24%), and could not substantiate 61 points (8%). They recorded that 23 complaints (3%) did not require any judgement on an outcome.
The preliminary report delivered to Ayaan's family concluded that the bereavement care provided to them was "poor" and the cultural sensitivity demonstrated following his death was "substantially inadequate". The investigators determined that this "undoubtedly added to the trauma of the family".
The draft report indicated that Ayaan's condition worsened with each hospital admission and Hace 1 may have impacted his ability to combat viral infections independently.
Investigators identified aspects of Ayaan's care that fell short of expected standards, including the fact that he should have been initiated on high flow oxygen therapy earlier and a four-hour delay in admitting him to PICU due to bed and staff capacity constraints. The report stated that the medical clinical handover on the inpatient ward where Ayaan was initially admitted "was chaotic and ineffective" and "had the potential for the sickest children not to be adequately handed over at the change of shift".
The report discovered there was "poor communication" regarding the likelihood of Ayaan's survival and a failure to provide timely bereavement support after his passing.
The family had previously complained that they could hear staff laughing in a nearby room during Ayaan's final moments. The report noted that as the unit was busy, there was no side room available "to support a private dignified death which, while unavoidable, added to the family's distress".
The probe uncovered "no evidence of systemic or individual harassment or victimisation" but noted that staff had failed to ascertain the family's cultural preferences regarding Ayaan's last rites and care for his body. It was also highlighted in the findings that the absence of such considerations in the NHS trust's policy "may be seen as indirectly discriminatory".
The inquiry led to 15 recommendations being made, which included:
implementing alternative strategies for ventilatory support when an intensive care bed is unavailable;
drafting guidelines for managing the "immediate post-death period";
examining the potential for staff with a similar ethnic background to act as liaisons during the bereavement process;
and arranging unconscious bias training for all clinical personnel.
Dr Jeff Perring, executive medical director at Sheffield Children's NHS Foundation Trust, extended his sincerest sympathies, stating: "We express our deepest condolences to Ayaan's family for their loss.
"We commissioned an independent investigation into the care and treatment of Ayaan. The draft report, with recommendations, has now been shared with Ayaan's family for their feedback.
"During the investigation we have addressed a number of concerns from Ayaan's family and we are committed to working with the family to address the learning within the draft report."
"We are working alongside NHS South Yorkshire to make sure Ayaan's family have the support they need, as they review the draft report before it is finalised and published."
A spokesperson for NHS South Yorkshire expressed their deepest sympathies, stating: "We would again like to offer our sincere condolences to Ayaan's family for the loss and distress they have experienced.
"We're continuing to work very closely and support Ayaan's family and have met with Ayaan's father to share with him the draft report into Ayaan's care."
"As this report is still in draft we're currently at the stage where everyone, most importantly Ayaan's family, have the opportunity to fully read and provide feedback and comment before the final report is released."
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