Investigation into death of boy twice sent home from Bradford Royal Infirmary

• Video report by Lisa Adlam

An investigation has been launched into the death of an eight-year-old boy who was allowed to leave hospital twice before becoming fatally ill.

Mohammad Izaan Danish, from Bradford, died on 6 January from severe pneumonia, four weeks after his family first took him to Bradford Royal Infirmary (BRI) with a fever and breathing problems.

His parents say his death could have been prevented if staff had acted sooner.

Izaan's father, Shakeel Chaudhry, said: "If they'd treated him properly with antibiotics then it would have been better - why didn't they treat him the first two times?"

Izaan, who was described as a "playful and happy boy" who "loved everybody", was first taken to hospital by his mother Sajida Jabeen on 10 December.

Mr Chaudhry said that after waiting almost five hours to be seen, Izaan, who was asthmatic, was given a nebuliser and ibuprofen and sent home.

But he was taken back to hospital the following day with breathing and chest pains and waited overnight for medical attention.

Izaan was given more medication and the family were told to wait, but Mrs Jabeen said she had other children to look after and had booked a GP appointment for Izaan that morning, so was given the choice to leave.

But Mr Chaudhry said the GP was "shocked" to see Izaan's condition and immediately sent him back to hospital.

He was eventually admitted to BRI later that day, before being transferred to Leeds General Infirmary (LGI) and put on a ventilator.

Izaan died three and a half weeks later.

Mr Chaudhry said medics should have taken the decision to admit Izaan, rather than allow his wife to leave hospital, because "they are the health professionals" and she was in a fragile mental state.

He said no X-rays or tests were taken when Izaan was struggling to breathe and having chest pains, and that staff should have recognised the repeated visits to the hospital as a sign that something was seriously wrong.

Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said that a "full investigation" would be made into the circumstances surrounding Izaan's death.

Chief medical officer, Dr Ray Smith said: "I would like to send our sincere and heartfelt condolences to Izaan's parents on the tragic death of their son.

"I will conduct a thorough investigation and the findings will be shared with Izaan's parents once completed."

Mr Chaudhry says he is "100%" worried that the same thing could happen to another family.

"What happened to Izaan, it must not happen to any other child," he said.

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