»A father claims he was told by a Queen’s Hospital nurse to “be a good Muslim and leave control to Allah” when his toddler daughter turned blue with breathing troubles.

Two-year-old Sanam Murad also began frothing at the mouth the day after being taken by ambulance to the Romford hospital with respiratory problems.

But dad Murad Ali said his and wife Tamseel Fatimah’s concerns “were constantly ignored” by busy staff at the hospital’s A&E department and ward.

Fever

Both parents have medical training, although Mr Ali does not practise.

Sanam had been taken twice previously to Queen’s A&E with a fever and cough before returning when her condition deteriorated on December 17.

Mr Ali, 39, said his daughter was in obvious “respiratory distress” but staff at the emergency unit – which was this month found by a watchdog to be compromising patients’ safety – tried to send her home.

He claims the couple were told by staff the hospital was “short of doctors”.

Sanam was eventually moved onto children’s wards for treatment, where her condition continued to worsen.

“Suddenly I saw my daughter turning blue with froth coming from her mouth, I shouted at the [nurses’] counter about her condition,” said Mr Ali, from Barking.

“At this, one of the nurses on duty, told me to be a good Muslim and leave the control to Allah.

“The nurse said she was Muslim. I am a Muslim but I do not expect a nurse to say this when my daughter needs medical help. It’s not professional.”

Sanam was stabilised by senior doctors before being transferred to Great Ormond Street Hospital, in central London, where she spent two days in intensive care.

Hospital chief executive Averil Dongworth said: “We have been contacted by Sanam’s family this week, and are investigating their concerns as a matter of urgency.”

Mr Ali said the “lack of compassion, ignorance towards the parents’ concern [and] lack of enthusiasm” by some staff had put his daughter’s “life at risk”.