Bow pupil Nasar Ahmed died from allergic reaction

11/5/2017

A pupil who died after falling ill in detention could possibly have been saved if he had received medication more quickly, a coroner has concluded.

Nasar Ahmed, who had severe asthma and multiple allergies, died after falling ill in the supervised detention room of Bow School, Tower Hamlets, in November.

The 14-year-old ate a meal he was allergic to hours before he collapsed.

Nasar's mother accused staff of failing in their duty of care. Bow School said it had reviewed its safety procedures.

Coroner Mary Hassell said it was a "possibility but not a probability" that had adrenaline been administered and speedier use made of an EpiPen, Nasar may have been saved.

His parents said they were "deeply saddened" to hear of missed opportunities to save their son's life.

The inquest heard staff had failed to properly administer the 14-year-old's medication before paramedics arrived.

Speaking outside Poplar Coroner's Court earlier, his mother Ferdousi Zaman said: "If he has anaphylaxis I give him his EpiPen.

"They [school staff] are first-aiders, they are more knowledgeable than me."

"They have failed their duty of care."

'Fear and panic'

In a statement, his family said: "It has been extremely difficult to sit through the evidence of our son's last conscious minutes.

"To hear about his fear and panic, and his struggle to survive will haunt us forever."

The family has called for a review into the care of pupils with asthma and allergies.

It said: "We strongly believe that if Nasar's care plan had been completed correctly, if staff had been aware of the care plan and if it had been followed properly, including administering an Epi-Pen as soon as possible, that Nasar would be alive today."

The Year Nine pupil had asthma, severe eczema and a host of allergies to milk, fish, nuts, wheat, apples, oranges and some meats.

On 10 November he consumed a school dinner of tandoori chicken made with milk.

Staff at Bow School tried to save him as his condition quickly deteriorated, with first aider Cherie Hyde putting him in the recovery position as he struggled for breath, the inquest heard.

'Our heartfelt sympathies'

Another member of staff brought Nasar's personal first aid box, containing an inhaler and EpiPen.

A third staff member rang the emergency services for advice.

However staff failed to administer the EpiPen in the five-minutes it took for paramedics to arrive.

The teenager from East London died four days later in hospital.

Cath Smith, the executive head teacher at Bow School, said: "We are all deeply saddened about this tragic incident and continue to offer our heartfelt sympathies to Nasar's family.

"The safety of those in our care is of course, our overriding concern, and following Nasar's death we rigorously reviewed all of our safety procedures and are providing more training for staff across the board.

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