Heartbreaking warning from parents of child who died after five GP visits

The parents of a two-year-old boy who died after seeing five doctors in four days have spoken out about their tragic loss.

Lachlan Black was a happy little boy, but after coming down with a fever and rash, his parents took him to hospital.

It was to be the beginning of a four-day nightmare that ended in tragedy.

Now, Lachlan's parents Tim and Angela Black say parents should trust their instincts and stand up to the medical profession.

"We went to hospital three times and in addition to that, we saw two separate GPs as well," mother Angela told 7 News.

"Even more than that really, because there were multiple doctors involved in his care."

They still visit Lachlan's favourite park and think about what could have happened if his bacterial infection had been treated with antibiotics sooner.

Instead he passed away in the intensive care unit from streptococcal.

"He just got worse and worse and unfortunately no one seemed to clue it wasn't a virus," Tim said.

"He just wasn't given the care that he should have been given.

"Eventually the doctors came and told us he had died, and we spent that night holding him."

Angela said Lachlan "died a third-world death in a first-world country".

"He suffered in hospital and we had to see that, he should not have had to go through that, and we have to live with that for the rest of our lives and that will affect us for the rest of our lives ," she said.

The tragedy of Lachlan's loss has prompted Tim and Angela to warn other parents to "trust your instincts" as a parent.

"If you are worried, just follow what your instincts tell you," they said.

"Act soon and act first, worry about people's opinions later; the other way the price is too high," Tim warned.

Lawyer Kathryn Booth is representing the family, who are taking legal action against the hospital, which is not commenting on the case.

"So we've argued at the coroner's court that had antibiotics been given to Lachlan earlier in the day then he wouldn't have died and his death was preventable," Ms Booth said.

Angela said: "The only thing we can change is the system and to stop that happening to other kids, and that's what drives us."

"Change the system - that's what we want more than anything. Nothing can bring him back."

The family's now waiting for the coroner to hand down her findings.