Alder Hey Children's Hospital was cleared of blame following the tragedy of a sick child classified as a 'low priority' by medics - but who then collapsed and died.
The parents of four-year-old Ronaldo Iosif became worried when he developed a high temperature and took him to the hospital's A&E department, where he was initially assessed pending a full medical examination.
However, because his temperature was not considered to be at an emergency level, he was placed in the lowest "green" priority. This meant he could face a wait of several hours in the busy A&E department before being seen by a doctor.
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Instead, following a discussion with medical staff, his parents took him back home. But overnight, the fever worsened, and they returned to Alder Hey the next morning.
It was only then that the seriousness of his condition was realised and Ronaldo was rushed to a resuscitation unit. Despite frantic efforts to save him, the child was tragically pronounced dead a short time later.
A post-mortem examination revealed he had died of sepsis following a meningococcal infection. The three-day inquest into Ronaldo's death was held at Gerard Majella Courthouse in Kirkdale, after a jury was sworn in to hear the case.
Ronaldo's dad, David, said at the time of the tragedy in June 2019, he had only just become a dad again after his wife had given birth to their sixth child. Speaking through a Romanian interpreter, Mr Iosif, of Bligh Street, Wavertree, told the jury that Ronaldo was "the loveliest boy in the house" and was just about to start school.
However, assistant Liverpool and Wirral coroner Kate Ainge ruled that the hospital was not to blame and there was no evidence that any failures had contributed to his death.
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In her summing up to the jury, she said the illness which Ronaldo suffered from could cause a rapid decline by "overwhelming the body".
She added there was not enough evidence that a failure contributed to the cause of his death, and there was only one conclusion which could be reached, which was that Ronaldo had died of natural causes, caused by the "natural progression of an illness".
According to the jury's written conclusions, the circumstances of Ronaldo's death were recorded as: "Ronaldo Iosif, a four year old male child, who lived with his parents and siblings at Bligh Street, Liverpool, arrived at Alder Hey Accident and Emergency on 4th June 2019.
"He presented with a temperature. Ronaldo was triaged but not assessed and then returned home that evening. His condition deteriorated and his parents brought him back to hospital on 5th June 2019. By then he was significantly unwell.
"Upon Ronaldo arriving at Alder Hey Accident and Emergency Department at 8am approximately, Ronaldo was unresponsive. His parents immediately asked for help and Ronaldo was taken to the Resuscitation bay. On examination by the medical staff, it was clear that Ronaldo was extremely unwell. He was given various medical treatments including antibiotics and fluids intravenously.
"Ronaldo became more responsive and asked for a drink but he deteriorated just after. He was intubated but he then suffered a cardiac arrest. Hospital staff had started chest compressions and other resuscitation just before the cardiac arrest. This continued but CPR was not successful and Ronaldo died at 10.31 on 5 June 2019 at Alder Hey Hospital."
