The dad of a four-year-old boy who died of sepsis after being turned away from a London hospital three times has issued a warning to other parents.
Daniel Klosi died at the Royal Free Hospital in April 2023 just one hour after he was finally offered a blood test.
The young boy was suffering from sepsis, but the hospital tried to claim he was ‘difficult to treat’ due to his autism.
But Daniel’s dad Kastriot told Metro ‘they didn’t even try’ checking over his son after he was brought to A and E three times in less that 48 hours.
He said: ‘Daniel was a lively boy and a curious child – he was just a perfect child.
‘The hospital said his autism made him difficult to observe, but they didn’t even try. He just lay dying in my arms the whole time we were there.
‘If just one parent knows how we have been treated, they can push for treatment when they know their child has more than just “the flu” like doctors tried to tell us
Kastriot said he and Daniel’s mum Lindita Alushi noticed something wrong with their ‘usually very playful’ son when he stopped eating and sleeping.
His skin began to look jaundiced and eventually turned blue as Daniel struggled to breathe, but hospital staff insisted it was just flu.
‘I even chased a nurse down a corridor to beg her to run a blood test and she just refused to stop to talk to me, that is one of my worst memories,’ Kastriot said.
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The first two times Daniel was seen, they were told he had just had flu after the NHS 111 service advised them to go to A and E.
But at the third visit, receptionists stopped them from going any further.
Kastriot said: ‘By this point Daniel was in such a desperate way.
‘We were eventually seen the next morning and given a blood test, and within an hour my son was dead.’
The East London Coroner’s Court ruled while doctors missed a sepsis diagnosis for Daniel, the trust was not neglectful in its care.
The coroner also noted Daniel came in with an ‘atypical presentation of sepsis’ and there was a ‘lack of understanding’ on how to care for a neurodivergent child.
Lindita received an apology and settlement from the hospital, but Kastriot said this is not enough.
He said: ‘They have never given a good reason as to why they didn’t give him a blood test sooner, they haven’t really admitted to anything.
‘I’m worried they won’t learn, it feels like they are saying “I don’t give a monkeys we killed your child” – it’s been a nightmare.’
A Royal Free London spokesperson said: ‘We are deeply sorry that Daniel died while under our care and would like to share our heartfelt condolences with his family and loved ones.
‘Following a thorough investigation, we identified a number of areas for improvement, and measures were taken to immediately address these.
‘This included improving training and awareness for all of our staff, particularly in relation to children who repeatedly visit our emergency departments; how we care for children with learning disabilities; and the importance of listening to parents and carers when they raise concerns.
‘We will continue to do all we can to raise awareness of the signs and symptoms of sepsis among all of our staff.’
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