A HAMPSHIRE father says he cannot forgive the hospital that sent his son home to die.

It comes after Southampton General Hospital’s boss admitted there had been mistakes in the care of 37-year-old Robert Cox.

In a letter to his parents Peter and Jill, Southampton Hospital chief executive Mark Hackett apologised for the flaws in Robert’s treatment.

He said: “I would like to say how deeply sorry we are that your son died in such tragic circumstances and once again apologise for the shortfalls that have been highlighted.”

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Mr Hackett outlined changes that had been made at the hospital to comply with recommendations made by an independent medical expert.

Normally healthy Robert was taken to Southampton Hospital by ambulance in January 2007 after developing a severe pain in his left thigh.

His upper leg was scanned for deep vein thrombosis, but nothing was found.

He was discharged and found dead at his flat in Romsey three days later.

The cause of his death could not be determined and an open verdict was recorded at his inquest.

Mr and Mrs Cox, of Ashley, New Milton, and their daughters Teresa and Victoria believe Robert could have survived if the hospital had carried out more thorough investigations.

The family’s complaint to NHS watchdog the Healthcare Commission was upheld. It ordered that the hospital should commission an independent review. Dr Philip Hormbrey of the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford found a lack of properly documented observations, particularly of Robert’s temperature, during his time at hospital.

His report says medics should have considered the possibility that Robert had a significant infection; carried out a blood test before ruling out DVT; and ordered other routine tests.

Mr and Mrs Cox – whose other son Andrew died at 20 in 1985 after leukaemia treatment at Southampton Hospital – have decided not to sue for negligence.

But Mr Cox said: “I can’t forget and I can’t forgive. Robert went to a place where he expected help and he was let down. The hospital failed in many aspects of his treatment.

“We don’t know whether he would have lived if the proper procedures had been followed, but it would have given him a fighting chance.”