Crawley couple's sepsis warning following death of two-month-old daughter after medics at East Surrey Hospital allegedly failed to perform test: Surrey & Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust gives statement

Nailah Ally, from Crawley was diagnosed with necrotising enterocolitis (NEC), a serious illness which sees the gut become inflamed and start to die. Shortly after her birth in October 2019, Irwin Mitchell, the firm representing the family, said she developed feeding issues, a swollen stomach and had to be fed via a tube. The condition can also lead to a perforated bowel.

Nailah was also diagnosed with a hole in heart during mum’s Laila Tobota’s pregnancy. The baby was treated for NEC and suspected sepsis as well as successfully undergoing cardiac surgery at a specialist heart hospital before being transferred to East Surrey Hospital to monitor and establish her feeding.

Irwin Mitchell said the hospital sent a handover note to doctors at East Surrey saying that if Nailah’s swollen stomach persisted she may require a barium enema, a test that helps to highlight the large bowel so it can be clearly seen on an X-ray, to consider the possibility that her intestine could have narrowed because of damage caused by NEC.

Irwin Mitchell added that shortly after being admitted to East Surrey Hospital on December 28, 2019, Nailah continued to have a swollen stomach and received treatment for suspected sepsis. However, the test was apparantly not performed. It was believed Nailah may have an intolerance to cow’s milk so her formula was changed, an NHS investigation report seen by the family’s legal team at Irwin Mitchell found.

Nailah was sent home from East Surrey Hospital on January 7, 2020, with an appointment to attend for a follow up appointment three days later, said Irwin Mitchell. They added, during her visit on January 10 concerns were raised about the girl’s condition but she was allowed home following a review before blood test results were analysed. When she returned the following day for follow up tests, she went into septic shock.

Nailah was diagnosed with sepsis, where the body attacks itself in response to an infection. An X-ray showed a suspected perforated bowel. Irwin Mitchell said Nailah’s condition continued to deteriorate. She was transferred to a specialist children’s hospital for surgery. However, she died on January 13, 2020, a day before she would have turned three-months-old.

A spokesperson for Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust said: “We are very sorry for the experience Nailah’s family had at East Surrey Hospital and our deepest sympathies remain with them at this very difficult time.

“We take any death extremely seriously and as a trust we have already investigated and put in place a thorough action plan to ensure we learn the lessons needed, and importantly, improve our care for future patients.”

A post-mortem examination found she died from multiple organ failure caused by NEC and a narrowing of the intestine, Irwin Mitchell said.

Following Nailah’s death, Laila, aged 26, and partner Emmanuel Ally, instructed expert medical negligence lawyers at Irwin Mitchell to investigate her care under Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust, which runs East Surrey Hospital.

Laila, a HR manager, and Emmanuel, a fire damper engineer, have now joined their legal team in calling for lessons to be learned. It comes after a root cause analysis investigation report by the Trust found there was 'a failure to perform barium enema, which in retrospect, may have found Nailah’s narrowed intestine which she suffered due to her episode of necrotising enterocolitis'.

Irwin Mitchell said the Trust has now paid an undisclosed out of court settlement to Nailah’s parents to help them access the specialist support they require following her death. It did not admit liability.

The medical negligence expert at Irwin Mitchell representing the family, Emily Mansfield said: “The last few years and coming to terms with Nailah’s death has understandably been incredibly traumatic for Laila and Emmanuel.

“Worrying issues have been identified by the Trust, not only in the Nailah’s care but also how her parents felt their concerns weren’t listened to. While nothing can make up for their hurt and pain, we’re pleased that we’ve been able to help provide Laila and Emmanuel with answers.

“Nailah’s case not only vividly highlights the dangers of sepsis but the potential consequences of poor communication. We welcome the Trust’s pledge to learn lessons. It’s vital that these are upheld to improve patient safety.”

Laila said: “We were overjoyed when we found out we were expecting Nailah and felt so blessed to be welcoming a child into the world.

“While it’s been three years since Nailah died, the hurt and pain we feel is still as raw now as it was then. She was the most adorable and beautiful child who didn’t deserve the suffering she had to go through in her short life. Nailah was an absolute fighter and so brave until the end.

“We can’t thank the heart surgeons enough for everything they did to help Nailah. We hoped that when she was transferred it would be the start of being able to bring her home to start our new life together."

Laila added: “Trying to come to terms with what happened is something I don’t think we’ll both ever get over. When we lost Nailah our lives changed forever.

“All we can do now is share what happened to us to make other parents aware. By speaking out we hope lessons can be learned. We want to let others who are going through the same emotions as us following the loss of a baby, that it’s not their fault. They don’t have to suffer alone as help and support is available.”