Grieving parents of boy, 5, claim hospital staff ‘laughed’ while switching off life support

A hospital has launched an investigation after the parents of a five-year-old boy claimed they heard staff laughing while they switched off his life support.

Haroon Rashid, 41, says he was forced to say goodbye to his son, Muhammad Ayaan Haroon, as medical staff at Sheffield Children’s Hospital in the same room were laughing in the background.

Ayaan, who had a history of respiratory illnesses and a rare genetic condition called Hace 1 which caused developmental delays, was admitted to the hospital on 5 March with trouble breathing.

Rashid says only a thin curtain stood between the doctors and nurses who had treated Ayaan as they sat with him before he died on 13 March.

The grieving father has now submitted a formal complaint about the conduct of the staff after a relative had to go and ask them to be respectful whilst they spent their last moments with Ayaan.

Rashid, a taxi driver and father of four from Sheffield, said: "When the machine was switched off at 2.30am we had a lot of family members there.

"There was laughter coming from staff members. We were so upset.

"There was no one else on the ward apart from staff and one other small child behind the curtain from us.

"Surely the staff knew Ayaan's machine was about to be turned off. They continued laughing after my relative asked them to stop.

"A child's life was coming to an end.

"It was highly insensitive. We are living with our son's loss but we are very, very angry about the staff behaved."

Rashid and his wife Fakhra Dibi, 45, are now calling for an investigation into the treatment of their son.

Their 10-page complaint details concerns over the medical care Ayaan received as well as the "inappropriate" behaviour from staff whilst his family were saying goodbye.

Rashid added:"My son was shown no compassion, no dignity, no respect and no humanity.

"I want to highlight the hospital’s failings to you so no other child suffers like my son.

"I have another child who is a patient of the same hospital.

"After how her brother was treated I do not feel she is safe in the care of the staff at Sheffield Children’s Hospital.”

Rashid also alleges that the staff delayed taking sending samples to identify his son's chest infection, which Haroon said stopped his son from having a "fighting chance" at recovering from the virus.

Bosses at the hospital have pledged a “thorough” investigation into the family's claims.

Dr Jeff Perring, medical director at Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust, said: “The loss of a child while they are a patient at Sheffield Children’s is something we take very seriously.

"Our colleagues pride themselves on providing the best clinical and pastoral care for all children and young people who need it.

“We have received Mr Rashid’s complaint, which is very detailed and complex.

"There will be a thorough internal investigation of the care and treatment Ayaan received at the hospital between 5 and 13 March which will cover the concerns raised in Mr Rashid’s complaint.”

Ayaan's initial cause of death has been listed as an adenovirus which can cause flu-like symptoms and pneumonia.

A decision as to whether an inquest into his death will be held has not yet been made by a coroner.