AN inquest is due to resume this week into the death of a 20-year-old who died hours after being sent home by a doctor.

Gary Lovett had had severe flu-like symptoms for two days since December 23, 2010 and saw an out-of-hours GP on Christmas Day.

He was sent home with a course of antibiotics and other medication, but was rushed to hospital around 2am on Boxing Day and died of pneumonia at 3.10am, an inquest in Southampton has heard.

Coroner for Southampton and New Forest Keith Wiseman adjourned the inquest, which had started in January, to request more information on calls the family made to NHS Direct prior to Gary’s death.

Parents Rob and Tracy made several appeals for help to both NHS Direct and the Solent out-of-hours service but were told it would be a six-hour wait for a doctor’s visit, the inquest heard.

The inquest has been told how, in desperation, they called an ambulance but Gary died just over an hour later after reaching Southampton General Hospital.

Solicitor John White, of Blake Lapthorn, representing Gary’s parents, has questioned whether the charity shop worker from Lordswood, Southampton would still be alive if he had been offered hospital treatment at 4pm on Christmas Day.

Out-of-hours GP Dr Amyn Kadri, who is based in Woolston, Southamp-ton, has told the inquest his assessment on the day was that it was reasonable to give Gary antibiotics and that he would have expected him to respond in the next 12 to 24 hours.

He said he would have relied on his own assessment and had not been supplied all the information given to NHS Direct about Gary’s condition.

He added that the symptoms did not clearly point towards pneumonia. “With the information I had my impression was that this was viral gastroenteritis or viral flu,” he said.

The inquest resumes on Thursday.