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A young man who died from dehydration in hospital was so desperate for a drink of water that he phoned the police from his bed for help, an inquest was told today.

Kane Gorny’s mother Rita Cronin told an inquest into her son’s death that when the police turned up at St George’s Hospital in May 2009 they were turned away by doctors and she was repeatedly ignored by staff when she begged for help for her son.

Giving evidence at the first day of an inquest at Westminster coroners’ court, she revealed how she received a distressed call from her son the day after he had a hip replacement in which he said he had called the police.

Ms Cronin went to the hospital, where Kane, 22, was “confused and angry”, behaving in an uncharacteristic abusive manner. Despite expressing her concerns, one doctor asked if her son was “coming off booze” and another asked if he was “always like this”.

After suffering a brain tumour Kane needed hormone medication to control fluid levels in his body but staff failed to give him the tablets. His requests for water were refused and he died.

A coroner had such grave concerns about the case she referred it to the police and there was a “serious untoward incident” investigation at the hospital. The hearing continues.