Mother's protest overruled as ill boy sent home

Mohammed Rhys Tahir had an extremely rare condition and was admitted to Dewsbury and District Hospital in February after he began experiencing coughing and breathing problems.

The 14-month-old boy, known as Rhys, was kept in for just four days before the decision was made to send him home despite the protests of his mother, who found him unresponsive less than a day later.

Deputy coroner Melanie Williamson raised concerns about his care during an inquest in Leeds to relay back to bosses at Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust.

She said he was discharged when his parents had made it clear that they did not feel he was well enough.

"I am also concerned that, when you have a cause of death which shows that he died of acute bronchial pneumonia, that

stay at hospital is quite short given the condition he was suffering from.

"I'm very concerned there was an immediate and very clear deterioration in his condition, resulting in his death.

"I am also concerned about the time he was discharged, 7.30pm.

"Given that it was a winter evening, and one of the coldest we have had, I think that was far too late.

"I am also concerned that no X-ray was performed prior to his discharge."

His parents, Yasmin Tahir and Tahir Mahmood, of Leeds, questioned consultant paediatrician, Dr Veejay Kumar Sharma, who treated their son at Dewsbury.

The boy's father asked: "Couldn't the hospital have done a little bit more? We could hear the wheezing on the way home so why was he discharged?"

Dr Sharma said Rhys's clinical signs were improving and seemed to be indicating he would be well enough to go home.

He also denied an X-ray would have affected the decision to

discharge Rhys because it can take four to six weeks before the scan will show improvement.

The doctor added that he would have asked the nurses to ensure both parents were happy for their child to be taken home, but his mother said in a statement she had told the nurse of their concerns.

Rhys was taken by ambulance to Leeds General Infirmary (LGI) after developing a cough and breathing problems.

A bed shortage at LGI led to him being transferred to Dewsbury and District Hospital, although not before an X-ray was taken, which showed Rhys had respiratory problems.

Dr Marta Cohen, a paediatric pathologist, said Rhys's death was due to acute bronchial pneumonia and Miss Williamson recorded a verdict of natural causes.

Dr Sharma said he would discuss the case with nurses as it was a "significant event".

Rare condition brings tragedy

Rhys suffered from a rare condition known as PEHO, a progressive infantile brain disorder.

The condition condemns its sufferers to an early death, probably by the age of 15.

Speaking afterwards, Rhys' smother, of Cragside Gardens, Hawksworth, Leeds, said: "We just don't want these mistakes to be repeated and for the same thing to happen to another child and another family.

"Rhys was a very poorly child and we didn't expect to have him for long, but if his pneumonia had been picked up earlier we might have had him for a bit longer.

"He was an inspirational little boy.

"We will always remember him smiling.