Police investigate hospital mix up

Najiyah Hussain died of oxygen starvation

A criminal investigation is underway into how a three-year-old girl died in a hospital mix up in which she was given laughing gas instead of oxygen.

Najiyah Hussain was taken to Newham General Hospital in east London after suffering a fit at her home.

The anaesthetic nitrous oxide was administered, starving her brain of oxygen, and she died in intensive care.

A member of the medical team which treated her has been interviewed by detectives under caution, Scotland Yard said.

Others who treated her have also been questioned and a file will be passed to the Crown Prosecution Service, which will decide whether to prosecute, a spokesman said.

I feel terrible. How could they do that? It should not happen to anybody else

Akmul Hussain

Newham Healthcare NHS Trust is also conducting an investigation and a member of staff had been suspended pending its outcome, the trust said.

The family is calling for hospitals across Britain to tighten their procedures so someone else does not have to suffer the pain of another "tragic and sudden" death such as Najiyah's.

Najiyah's father Akmul Hussain said from his home in Manor Park, east London: "She should have had the right treatment.

"She was a very lovely girl ... a lovely girl and she had just started nursery.

"I feel terrible. How could they do that? It should not happen to anybody else."

'Double-check procedures'

John Bruty, a legal representative for the family, said: "The priority for Najiyah's family is to find out exactly what happened in the hospital.

"They hope that her death causes hospitals everywhere to double-check their procedures to ensure that something like this cannot happen to somebody else."

Najiyah arrived at the hospital's accident and emergency department on 18 January. She had gone into convulsions after receiving a flu jab at her GP practice.

Dr Charles Gutteridge: "An inquiry has been set up"

She was given a mask to help her breathe.

However, instead of being connected to a supply of oxygen, the mask fed her nitrous oxide.

A spokesman for the hospital said senior representatives for the NHS Trust have met the parents and expressed their sincere condolences.

Dr Charles Gutteridge, medical director of the hospital, said: "We were concerned about some of the events around that day and so have set up an internal inquiry.

"The panel consists of some staff within the hospital and an independent external expert."

Experts say that modern equipment should make it impossible for such a mistake to occur.

Recent tragedies

The tragedy follows two other high profile deaths blamed on NHS errors in recent weeks.

Wayne Jowett, 18, died at Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham, after a cancer drug was injected into his spine, rather than into a vein.

And a patient died at the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton after local anaesthetic was injected into a vein rather than his spine.

An inquest into Najiyah's death was opened and adjourned at Walthamstow Coroner's Court on Wednesday.

A file on her case has been sent to the Crown Prosecution Service.