Four-year-old boy died of sepsis ‘after being sent home from hospital and told to take Calpol’
A four-year-old boy died of sepsis after allegedly being sent home from hospital and told to take Calpol.
Daniel Klosi was taken to the Royal Free Hospital in Camden, London, four times in the week before his death, but was discharged on three of those occasions.
Lindita Alushi and Kastriot Klosi, his parents, claim that doctors advised them to give their son Calpol and Ibuprofen during the second and third visits.
On the fourth visit, Daniel, who had autism, was admitted to the children’s emergency department with sepsis and died hours later.
The couple have enlisted help from specialist medical negligence lawyers at Irwin Mitchell and the inquest into Daniel’s death is due to start on August 13 at Poplar Coroner’s Court, in east London.
The inquest is expected to last two days.
Ms Alushi, a pharmacy assistant and qualified doctor in her native Albania, said: “Daniel was the most adorable little boy and we were so blessed that he was our son. He loved cooking and baking with me.
“He loved animals, listening to stories and playing with his friends. Daniel was very inquisitive and curious. He was just an absolute delight. We still struggle to understand what happened to Daniel and why.
“We kept taking him to hospital and were really concerned about his condition but nothing can prepare you for being told your little boy has died.
“That day our family changed forever. Our days are filled with distress, emptiness and sorrow.”
Daniel’s parents first took him to A&E at the Royal Free Hospital on Sunday, March 26 2023. He was sent home a couple of hours after arriving.
On the following Thursday night, they returned to the hospital concerned about Daniel’s breathing, and he was discharged in the early hours of Friday morning.
The pair continued to be concerned about Daniel, who had stopped eating, and took him back on Saturday 1 April, but they were sent home again.
They returned with Daniel at around 4pm, and after around four hours in A&E he was admitted. However, his condition deteriorated and he died in the early hours of April 2.
Ms Alushi, 44, said: “While time has moved on, it has stood still for our family because of the many unanswered questions around what happened to Daniel. Every day we wonder if more could have been done to save our little boy.
“We know that hearing everything again at the inquest will be incredibly difficult, but it’s something we need to do to honour our son and get the answers we’ve been seeking for more than a year.”
Lucy Macklin, the medical negligence lawyer representing the couple, said: “Attempting to try and come to terms with Daniel’s death and the events leading up to it has been incredibly difficult for Lindita and Kastriot.
“Understandably, they continue to have many questions and concerns about the care their son received and Daniel’s death.
“While nothing will ever make up for Daniel’s death, we’re determined to support his loved ones so they at least can be provided with the vital answers they deserve.
“The inquest is a major milestone in being able to do this. If during the course of the hearing any issues in the care Daniel received are identified, it’s vital that lessons are learned to improve patient safety for others.”
A spokesman for the Royal Free Hospital said: “We are deeply saddened by the death of Daniel and once again would like to send our sincere condolences to his family.
“We have carried out an investigation into Daniel’s care and the findings were shared with his family. We await the outcome of the inquest.”