A grieving mother who lost her two-year-old daughter to a rare cancer has claimed she 'had to argue to get a GP appointment' the day before the illness was diagnosed.
Kelly Clarkson, from Kirkcaldy, Fife, took her toddler Megan to visit six doctors and five nurses over a 28-month period when the child had developed a bad cough in September 2016.
She was told by doctors that it was asthma despite Megan's respiratory rate increased to double the normal level and suffered from breathing difficulties.
The 37-year-old mother said she had to 'argue my case' with nurses in a bid to get GP appointments.
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She said she eventually saw a GP who later referred Megan to the Victoria Hospital where an X-ray showed a 'white out' lung, often a sign of pneumonia.
Megan was diagnosed with type three Pleuropulmonary Blastoma - a rare and aggressive form of lung cancer found in children.
On New Year's Day, 2018, the tot was sent into theatre and had her whole right lung removed.
However she suffered a massive bleed and a cardiac arrest, she died after the operation the next day.
Kelly said: "I make the point in my complaint letter that they wanted to have a telephone consultation about a two-year-old girl with breathing difficulties.
"Why did they not just say 'OK let's get you in to see a doctor'?
"Instead, I had to argue my case, I had to turn into a horrible person and I came off the phone shaking."
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Kelly wants recommendations that include funding for mandatory child health training for all general practice trainees to be implemented, according to Daily Record.
She has met NHS Fife and local MSP David Torrance, who has written to Health Secretary Jeane Freeman on her behalf.
The mum added: "Looking back I just think - why did I have to see so many people before I saw a doctor about a two-year old girl with breathing difficulties?
"I understand nurse practitioners are trained but sometimes for a bit of reassurance as a parent it would be good to see a GP.
"I felt judged because I work - you're having to phone in every day for these appointments at 8.30am and it takes forever to get through.
"You can be phoning 40 to 50 times just to get to see a doctor or to get an emergency appointment.
"They don't take young people in these situations seriously and they don't take anything that is not the most obvious answer seriously."
