Amateur footballer died of flesh-eating virus that was mistakenly diagnosed as tonsillitis by NHS doctors

An amateur footballer has died as a result of a flesh-eating virus that was mistaken for tonsillitis by doctors. The parents of Luke Abrahams have hit out at the NHS over a “catalogue of errors’ that led to the death of the 20-year-old.

Luke had felt unwell in January and complained about a sore throat before going to see his GP at Penvale Medical Centre in Northampton. He was diagnosed with tonsillitis and his doctor prescribed him with antibiotics.

But Luke’s condition continued to worsen in the coming days with pains in his legs that led to his worried parents to take him to hospital. He was later sent back home, but the pain grew so severe that he begged them to call 999 as he “couldn’t take the pain” much longer.

The 20-year-old later died on the operating table at Northampton General Hospital. A post-mortem examination revealed that Luke had been suffering from septicaemia Lemierre syndrome, which is a form of bacterial infection and a flesh-eating disease.

Grieving parents Richard Abrahams, 60, and Julie Needham, 49, have criticised the NHS while launching a legal bid to discover why so many mistakes were made in the diagnosis and treatment of their son.

Richard said: “No one has taken any responsibility over his death. When he first went to the doctors and then started complaining about a pain in his leg, he should have been given more tests.