A TEENAGER suffering from the potentially deadly MRSA bug and septicaemia was told by doctors to go home because he had a 48-hour bug, it has been claimed.

Kieran Johns, 16, originally attended A&E at Colchester General Hospital after suffering sickness and pain.

When he was assessed by doctors, mum Debbie Johns claims he was initially accused of pretending to be sick, before being told to go home because he had a 48-hour bug.

But the family returned the next day after Kieran's symptoms got worse and refused to leave despite again being told he had a short-term bug.

As a result, Kieran was admitted to the Turner Road hospital and after tests, doctors diagnosed him with MRSA and septicaemia. He then spent the next 27 days in hospital.

Mrs Johns, 42, of Field Court, Colchester, said: "I'm just glad we refused to take him home.

"If we had taken him home, he might not be here now.

"They told us to go home again but we said 'there is absolutely no way we are going to go home'.

"Kieran was crying with the pain."

She added: "When we first went up, the first doctor we spoke to actually thought Kieran was putting it on.

"Then they decided he was poorly and said he'd got a 48-hour bug - it's disgusting."

Doctors had to operate on Kieran's leg to treat the infections.

The Colchester Academy pupil was eventually discharged on Wednesday and will have to have antibiotics pumped into his heart through a cannula to make sure the MRSA does not re-appear.

That means his parents must take him to the surgical unit every day at 6pm because district nurses cannot administer the drugs.

A Colchester General Hospital spokesman said: "We are sorry and disappointed that the family of Kieran Johns has concerns about aspects of his care.

"We do not discuss in public details of individual patients but a Matron and our Head of Patient Experience have both spoken separately to Kieran’s mother to address these concerns and to offer support [and] advised Mrs Johns how to make a formal complaint.

"If she does complain, we will carry out a thorough investigation and report back to her.

"If appropriate, we will apologise and use her son’s case as a learning opportunity to improve care for patients in the future."