Legal team brought in to ‘fight for justice’ for tragic Yusuf

Yusuf Mahmud Nazir’s family had sought treatment for a severe throat infection a week before he died — after Rotherham Hospital said it had “not got the doctors and not got the beds”.

The Thornhill Primary School pupil, who was described by his head teacher as “delightful” and “a superstar and a credit to his family”, died on November 23.

Last week MP Sarah Champion began working with the family to “quickly find out what went so horribly wrong” and was told by hospital chief executive Richard Jenkins that an independent investigation had been launched.

Mr Jenkins — who has apologised to the family for the care provided — said a “thorough and independently conducted investigation” was “vital” so “the family can have answers to their concerns and we can identify where changes need to be made”.

This week Yusuf’s family announced they had instructed a legal team —  Adam Wagner of Doughty Street Chambers and Anna Thwaites of Bindmans LLP — to act on their behalf, to offer support and advice and help with their “fight for justice”.

The legal team will initially assist with an investigation by NHS England, with Yusuf’s family demanding it is fully independent, has “wide terms of reference which will include the failure to provide sufficient resources to the NHS”, and involves the family at every stage.

The overall aims are to “understand how Yusuf died, to ensure that there is justice and accountability for any failings and to make sure that these tragic events are never repeated”.

Yusuf’s uncle Zaheer Ahmed said: “We as a family are simply searching for the truth. We want to uncover the facts about why Yusuf was denied access to the medical care he rightfully needed.”

He added: “In the end, our fight is to ensure other families and children are better protected by the NHS.”

Ms Champion raised the case in the House of Commons on Tuesday, highlighting how the “severe lack of paediatric beds in her constituency resulted in the tragic death of Yusuf” and claiming the NHS had suffered “12 years of consistent neglect from the Conservative government” and “Rotherham deserves better”.

She asked Will Quince MP, health and social care minister, what his plan was to support Rotherham’s  “left behind” NHS services.

“Two weeks ago, a five-year-old constituent of mine, Yusuf Nazir, died because we no longer have intensive paediatric beds in Rotherham,” she said.

Ms Champion also noted record-breaking ambulance handover delays in September and rising 12-hour waits in A&E, saying Rotherham’s NHS had been “hollowed out”.

Mr Quince said ambulance staff numbers had been increased, as well as overall NHS staff, and £450 million  extra invested into A&E departments.

The minister also offered to have a meeting with Ms Champion to discuss challenges in her constituency “more specifically”.

Ms Champion responded: “The answer given by the Minister is simply not good enough — he cannot give a clear plan to support the NHS in future, after 12 years of consistent neglect from the Conservative Government.”