Sheffield Hospital admits negligence after infant dies from sepsis post-stoma surgery
A four-month-old died from sepsis after doctors missed a leaking bowel following stoma reversal at Sheffield Children’s Hospital, which later admitted the failings.
Four-month-old Kyra Ali Aslam, who had a stoma placed shortly after birth, had the stoma reversed on 11 August 2022 at Sheffield Children’s Hospital. The following night she began vomiting, and nursing staff suspected sepsis, but medical staff downplayed the risk, suggesting a rare bowel leak. Her health deteriorated and she was taken to theatre on 13 August, where she died at 3.40 pm.
A coroner’s report criticised the trust for ignoring parental and nursing concerns and for insufficient consent. In a civil claim, the trust admitted it failed to identify sepsis and the leaking bowel, and that proper care would likely have prevented her death. Hospital executives expressed sorrow and pledged improvements, including appointing a sepsis lead nurse. Her mother, Lariece Greaves, hopes sharing the case raises awareness of sepsis signs.
Why it matters
The case exposes serious lapses in pediatric sepsis detection and hospital accountability, prompting calls for safer care standards.
In this story
