Toddler died after hospital staff neglect, inquest told

THE father of a toddler who died after a four-hour wait in hospital hit out at medics yesterday, saying “nobody took any notice” of his son’s failing health.

Ahil Islam, aged one, was taken to hospital in Watford, Herts, by ambulance after developing a fever following a minor burn when a cup of tea was spilled over him.

His parents say they expected him to be rushed to a ward, but instead he was kept waiting in A&E until he died four hours later.

Giving evidence at his son’s inquest yesterday, Zia Islam said he felt Ahil was ignored by doctors at Watford General Hospital until it was too late.

In the days before his death, Ahil had been seen by specialist child health doctors, burns experts, his GP and A&E medics.

He was transferred to Watford General by ambulance — with lights on and sirens sounding — from the burns unit at Mount Vernon Hospital in Middlesex when his condition worsened.

He was dehydrated, suffering diarrhoea and growing weaker.

But after the emergency transfer, Mr Islam said, Ahil was made to wait in a corridor, despite his obvious pain and worsening health.

Mr Islam, of St Nicholas Road, Watford, told the hearing: “I had a long conversation with my wife for the best part of five hours last night and one of the things she told me to tell everyone was that while we were going between hospitals, nobody took any notice of his deteriorating condition.”

He added that there was no sense of urgency to treat his son at Watford when transferred on October 4, 2005.

“We were treated as though there was nothing wrong with him. We were made to feel we were making a scene.”

Paul Cussons, a consultant plastic surgeon at Mount Vernon, said Ahil had suffered superficial burns to 3% of his body but in the early stages of treatment had not shown signs of being seriously ill.

“There is a very real prospect that even if he had been seen immediately, he might not have survived.”

The inquest continues today.