A NINE-YEAR-OLD boy who was dismissed from hospital as “needing the toilet” was later diagnosed as “critically ill”.

Mojtaba Khadimi, from Grays, was taken to Basildon Hospital after he fell ill.

His father, Abdullah Khadimi, said: “He was so ill. He had so much phlegm in his mouth he could barely breathe.”

But the hospital turned Mojtaba away believing he was fine.

His mother, Sabereh Ghadamali, said: “They weren’t paying attention to me and my son - they just kept saying that he was hungry and that he needed the toilet.”

Frustrated by the lack of care Mojtaba was receiving, his parents took him to St Mary’s Hospital in London where they immediately diagnosed him with a number of ailments, including septicaemic shock and flu.

In a letter seen by the Gazette, Dr Felicity Taylor, from St Mary’s Hospital, writes that Mojtaba was “critically unwell”.

As a result of his illness, the family had to cancel their Christmas holiday last year to see family in the Netherlands.

Now Mojtaba’s parents want answers, but they are still awaiting a meeting with Basildon and Thurrock Hospital.

Sabereh said: “I can’t believe that my family and I have been treated this way. I cry a lot, but nobody is helping me.”

A spokesman for Basildon and Thurrock Hospital said: “The trust regrets that when this young patient attended our A&E department last year, he did not receive the high standard of care that our clinical staff always strive to provide.

“This case has been thoroughly investigated to establish the facts, learn from mistakes and put in place improvements to ensure that young patients attending our emergency department receive safe and skilled care.

“We are arranging a meeting with the family to inform them fully of the outcome of our investigation. “We are very pleased that Mojtaba has made a full recovery.”

Abdullah added his gratitude to St Mary’s Hospital.

He said: “I would like to thank St Mary’s Hospital - they saved my boy’s life.”