Leila, who had a history of respiratory infections, became unwell with a rare strain of pneumococcal meningitis in mid-June 2023 and was treated at Harrogate Hospital with antibiotics before being discharged on 6 July.
However, 11 days later her parents began a series of contacts with the hospital, either in person or on the phone, over concerns about a change in their daughter’s behaviour, alongside a cough and some unsteadiness.
The family returned to the paediatric unit again on 22 July as she had fever and flu-like symptoms but, after being assessed by staff, she was sent home with a working diagnosis of an upper respiratory tract infection.
The following day Leila’s parents took her back to hospital worried she had become increasingly unwell, was drowsy and may have suffered seizures at home, but at this stage staff continued to believe it was a viral infection.
After her mother raised concerns, she was later that afternoon taken to a treatment room where she suffered two seizures in front of her family.
A report would later confirm that her father had been “inappropriately” asked to time the seizures using a staff member’s mobile phone during resuscitation attempts as the room did not have a clock on the wall.
It was only after this significant deterioration that doctors suspected Leila had a “very rare” recurrence of meningitis and sepsis.
Her condition continued to deteriorate, and she was transferred to a paediatric intensive care unit at another hospital early the following morning, where a CT scan revealed significant brain damage.
Leila was moved to Martin House Hospice where she died on 25 July 2023.