Wolverhampton father's anger as toddler son diagnosed days before death despite 30 trips to medics
A heartbroken father has told an inquest health bosses should have done more to diagnose his 20-month-old son, who died from leukaemia just days after finally being diagnosed.
Kulvinder Singh Bhogal, aged 42, of Lambert Road, Fallings Park, Wolverhampton, told the inquest he believes chances were missed to save his previously 'healthy and happy' son Ryan.
The child was taken to GPs, hospitals and walk-in centres with a number of different conditions between December 2014 and his death in September 2015, according to his family.
But none of the health staff who saw Ryan picked out symptoms 'which were clearly there', Mr Bhogal said.
For the first six months or so of his young life, Ryan was 'a happy and healthy boy,' his father told the inquest headed by Black Country coroner Mr Zafar Siddique.
However, he started to pick up chest infections and bronchitis and his health started to deteriorate from December 2014.
The inquest heard his worried parents repeatedly took him to see medics in the hope they could diagnose an underlying condition.
Mr Bhogal and his wife Jaspal, 38, said they made around 30 to 35 separate visits in nine months - but to no avail.
Eventually Ryan was taken to New Cross Hospital on September 7, 2015 and the blood cancer was identified.
Mr Bhogal spoke of his 'shock' at the diagnosis and 'heartbreak' at seeing his son suffer as his condition rapidly went downhill.
Ryan was transferred to the intensive care unit at Birmingham Children's Hospital but died on September 11.
An emotional Mr Bhogal told the inquest: "When he got to Birmingham Children's Hospital they did what they had to do.
"But I think prior to that certain individuals failed to acknowledge the seriousness of his symptoms which were clearly there, in my view."
The inquest continues.
