Inquest of boy sent home from A&E delayed for test

The family of a five-year-old boy who died eight days after he was sent home from A&E said they were "disappointed" his inquest was adjourned over questions about whether he had an underlying genetic condition.

Yusuf Mahmud Nazir died on 23 November 2022, eight days after he was seen at Rotherham Hospital and sent home with antibiotics.

During a hearing at Sheffield Coroner's Court earlier, his family was told the planned five-day inquest into his death would be delayed to allow further investigations to take place.

His family, who believe his death was a result of system failures across two hospitals and other services, said the tests should have been carried out shortly after Yusuf's death.

Assistant South Yorkshire coroner Rebecca Connell explained that a previous report into Yusuf's death had raised the question of whether he may have had an underlying genetic condition.

She said this could explain why he reacted how he did to an infection, but it was believed this could not be determined.

The coroner said that within the last week, a doctor had raised the possibility of taking a sample from material which may contain his DNA.

Connell said she would arrange for experts to be consulted over the next steps but warned that it could be months before the inquest was resumed and that this process may not take the investigation any further forward.

She told Yusuf's family: "I'm so sorry we are in this position. I cannot apologise enough."

Speaking outside court after the hearing was adjourned, Yusuf's uncle Zaheer Ahmed said: "It's really, really disappointing for the family for everybody to leave things to the last minute.

"And being told now about further tests for Yusuf to see if he had any genetic conditions, or any further tests that need to be done.

"It all should have realistically been done when Yusuf unfortunately passed away."

But Ahmed thanked the coroner for her diligence and said he understood why the hearing had to be adjourned.

He said: "If it's going to give us any answers, if it's going to be closer to the answers that we want on how Yusuf's died, it is what we want.

"We just want the truth, whatever it takes."

The family's barrister, Adam Wagner KC, said there was still no answer to the most fundamental question of why Yusuf died.

He said: "Children don't generally die of tonsilitis."

Yusuf, who had asthma, was taken to a GP with a sore throat and feeling unwell on 15 November and was prescribed antibiotics by an advanced nurse practitioner.

Later that evening, his parents took him to Rotherham Hospital urgent and emergency care centre where he was seen after a six-hour wait.

He was discharged with a diagnosis of severe tonsillitis and an extended prescription of antibiotics.

Yusuf's family said they were told "there are no beds and not enough doctors" in the emergency department at Rotherham, and that Yusuf should have been admitted and given intravenous antibiotics.

Two days later, Yusuf was given further antibiotics by his GP for a possible chest infection, but his family became so concerned they called an ambulance and insisted the paramedics take him to Sheffield Children's Hospital rather than Rotherham.

Yusuf was admitted to the intensive care unit on 21 November but developed multi-organ failure and suffered several cardiac arrests, which he did not survive.

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