A toddler, 23-months-old, died of sepsis just days before his second birthday after doctors ignored his symptoms, an inquest heard.

Jack Sands was due to be discharged from Leeds General Infirmary after undergoing skull surgery, but he quickly developed a rash as his condition deteriorated.

An inquest into the toddler’s death at Wakefield Coroner’s Court heard how his parents, Gemma and John Sands, warned doctors after researching the symptoms of sepsis online.

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Jack passed away on July 17 last year after doctors told his parents: “We’re the professionals. We know what we’re doing”.

The hearing heard how Jack had been admitted to the hospital due to his condition, craniosynostosis, which restricts skull growth, where he underwent his operation.

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Four days after the operation, the toddler was transferred to a high-dependency ward after developing gastroenteritis, where he became “increasingly unwell”.

Gemma, from Goole, East Yorks, said his skin had became pale and mottled, and added: “My dad was telling the nurses about this, but nobody listened.”

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After raising concerns of sepsis with medical staff, Jack was given antibiotics.

Recording a narrative verdict, senior coroner Kevin McLoughlin said: “The administration of antibiotics was delayed for some hours that evening after a diagnosis of sepsis was considered, although it is unclear whether this made more than a minimal contribution to the outcome.”

A post-mortem examination of the body showed that a bacterial infection had taken hold around the boy’s skull, where he had been operated on.

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The coroner concluded that: “The origin of the infection and the mechanism by which it developed, are unclear.”

Brain surgeon Paul Chumas told the inquest: “I hope one of the lessons learned is that we should listen to parents because they are specialists in the care of their children.”

Senior sister Julie Cooper said following Jack's death, staff had now been trained to spot the signs of sepsis.

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