The parents of a little boy who died of sepsis after doctors told them to 'give him Calpol' have won compensation.
Daniel Klosi, four, was repeatedly sent away from hospital despite his family desperately pleading for blood tests as they were concerned he was seriously ill.
He was taken by parents Lindita Alushi, 44, and Kastriot Klosi, 51, to The Royal Free Hospital in Camden, north London, four times during the week before his death.
On two of those occasions they were sent home with instructions to give him Calpol and Ibuprofen.
Only after visiting hospital twice in one day on April 1, 2023, was he admitted to a children's emergency department - after the family waited for four hours in A&E.
By that time though he was visibly deteriorating - and died only a few hours later in the early hours of the following morning.
Stricken by grief, his devastated parents, who live in Kentish Town in London, instructed medical negligence lawyers Irwin Mitchell to look into the tragedy.
Investigators found that during Daniel's third hospital visit, staff did not read his medical records or obtain a full history from his parents.
An inquest also heard that medics did not order blood tests or administer life-saving intravenous antibiotics.
Coroner Mary Hassell said Daniel, who had autism, attended hospital with 'atypical' features of sepsis.
She criticised medical staff, saying they needed to 'pay even more attention than usual' to parents and their concerns regarding their child's health.
While Daniel had shown some signs of sepsis in children - such as a high temperature and vomiting - he did not appear to be lethargic.
If intravenous antibiotics had been given to Daniel during his third visit, he would have survived, the coroner added.
Sepsis is an infection of the blood system that affects approximately 245,000 people in the UK every year.
If treated promptly, most people can be expected to make a full recovery.
Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust has now agreed to pay the family an undisclosed out-of-court settlement and issued an apology.
Peter Landstrom, group chief executive, said he was 'very sorry that it was necessary' that Daniel's family had to raise concerns about his care during a 'distressing time'.
In the letter to Daniel's parents on January 2 this year, he wrote: 'I am aware that there has been an inquest and the Trust takes the coroner's conclusions very seriously.
'The Trust is truly sorry that the events in the lead up to Daniel's death occurred and on behalf of the Trust, and all the staff involved, I would like to apologise unreservedly for the devastating outcome.'
Daniel's parents took him to A&E on March 26, 2023, but he was sent home a couple of hours later.
On March 30 they returned to hospital concerned for his breathing but doctors discharged him and told his parents to give him Calpol and Ibuprofen.
Only after visiting hospital twice in one day on April 1 was he admitted to a children's emergency department - after the family waited for four hours in A&E.
By that time though he was visibly deteriorating - and died only a few hours later in the early hours of the following morning.
Lindita, a pharmacy assistant and qualified doctor in her native Albania, said: 'Each time we took Daniel to hospital it was because we thought his condition was getting worse.
'We asked for tests such as blood tests and X-rays but it felt like our concerns weren't fully listened to.
'We were getting more concerned about Daniel as it looked to us like his condition was deteriorating.
'When he was admitted to hospital everything seemed to move so quickly and in just a few hours Daniel had died.
'I'll never be able to find the words to describe the anger, hurt and pain we continue to wake with each day following Daniel's death.
'What happened to Daniel, and especially the care issues he faced, will live with us forever.'
Paying tribute to her son, Lindita added: 'Daniel was such a sweet and adorable little boy.
'We felt so blessed that he was our son. He brought so much happiness and sunshine to our lives.
'He didn't deserve to die like he did because the hospital staff wouldn't listen to our concerns.
'That he could have been saved is the most difficult thing to come to terms with.
'Medical staff should never make assumptions about a child's condition such as I believe they did in Daniel's case.
'That he was taken to hospital four times in a week indicated something was seriously wrong and we were right to be extremely concerned about his condition.
'All parents know their children the best, and that's especially the case with parents of children with conditions such as autism.
'We take some comfort from finally having an apology from the Trust but remain hurt at the length of time it has taken.
'If by continuing to speak out we can save others, maybe Daniel's death won't have been totally in vain.'
Lawyer Lucy Macklin, who represented the family, said: 'Lindita and Kastriot remain devastated by his death, and in particular that an inquest ruled it could have been avoided if Daniel had received the care he deserved.
'Not only is Daniel's death a stark reminder of the dangers of sepsis and how early detection, and treatment are key to beating it, it also vividly highlights how neurodivergent children may present with different symptoms and the importance of health professionals fully listening to parents and acting on their concerns.'
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.'
WHAT IS SEPSIS?
Sepsis occurs when the body reacts to an infection by attacking its own organs and tissues.
Some 44,000 people die from sepsis every year in the UK. Worldwide, someone dies from the condition every 3.5 seconds.
Sepsis has similar symptoms to flu, gastroenteritis and a chest infection.
These include:
Slurred speech or confusion
Extreme shivering or muscle pain
Passing no urine in a day
Severe breathlessness
It feels like you are dying
Skin mottled or discoloured
Symptoms in children are:
Fast breathing
Fits or convulsions
Mottled, bluish or pale skin
Rashes that do not fade when pressed
Lethargy
Feeling abnormally cold
Under fives may be vomiting repeatedly, not feeding or not urinating for 12 hours.
Anyone can develop sepsis but it is most common in people who have recently had surgery, have a urinary catheter or have stayed in hospital for a long time.
Other at-risk people include those with weak immune systems, chemotherapy patients, pregnant women, the elderly and the very young.
Treatment varies depending on the site of the infection but involves antibiotics, IV fluids and oxygen, if necessary.
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