A 10-YEAR-OLD boy diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumour was sent home from a Bury GP with cream for a “virus” just days earlier.

Limefield youngster Stewart Sheridan is likely to need chemotherapy or radiotherapy to shrink the inoperable tumour, which is in the centre of his brain.

His father, Michael Sheridan, claims a GP at Ribblesdale Medical Practice diagnosed Stewart with a virus, and gave him cream to treat it, despite him suffering hallucinations and persistent nose bleeds.

Mr Sheridan, of Arley Avenue, said Stewart began suffering nose bleeds four months ago and when he first visited the GP practice in November was told he had “excess blood”.

On February 2, Stewart was sent home from Fairfield Primary School, where he is a year five pupil, because he was very pale and suffering from sickness and diarrhoea.

Mr Sheridan, aged 46, a single father-of-two, said his son was behaving strangely — punching the air and talking like someone else was in the room.

The same evening he took him again to the surgery in Knowsley Street, where the same GP prescribed a cream to put up Stewart’s right nostril to treat a virus.

Three days later Stewart complained of a headache and wobbly legs and was again behaving unusually so Mr Sheridan took him to Fairfield General Hospital.

The youngster was given a CT scan which revealed a tumour on his brain and he was taken by ambulance to Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital, where he remains.

Mr Sheridan said: “They don’t know how long he has had the tumour – or whether the nose bleeds were connected to it – but it is right in the middle of his brain which means it is inoperable.

“That night when my son was unwell I took him to the doctor, told him the symptoms and he said it was a virus. He should have picked up that it was something more serious, but he didn’t.

“It makes me feel very annoyed. He did not do his job properly.

“That night he was running late, with his appointments behind schedule, and I feel like he rushed to get it done.”

Stewart was taken into emergency surgery on Tuesday and his family are expecting the results of a biopsy today (Thursday, February 19).

The youngster, who supports Manchester City and plays football for Walshaw Sports Club, has been a lifelong patient at Ribblesdale along with sister Amy, aged six.

Doctors have told Mr Sheridan that Stewart will need chemotherapy or radiotherapy to shrink the tumour.

He believes Stewart’s situation could have become even more serious if he had not personally decided to take him to hospital.

Mr Sheridan added: “At the moment Stewart is lying in bed and is not able to do much.

“I just want to let parents know, so that if anyone is in the same situation or going through anything similar they know to take their child to a hospital and get them checked over.

“Everyone is so worried about him – his friends, our family, even people who do not really know him. I am so cut up about it.”

Mr Sheridan has made a formal complaint to Ribblesdale Medical Practice on February 6 and was called back by the practice manager on February 9.

He was told the GP involved was “devastated” and offered to apologise, but Mr Sheridan declined to speak to the GP.

A spokesman for Ribblesdale Medical Practice said: “This is obviously a very difficult time for the patient, and our thoughts are with him and his family.

“However, we are unable to comment further due to patient confidentiality.”