A doctor told an inquest she could not understand “why someone didn’t pick up the phone” on the night four-year-old Freya Wells died at Kingston Hospital.

Paediatric consultant Dr Titilola Ayeni said she received a phone call at about 4.30am that night from registrar Dr Rosita Ibrahim, but said the discussion was “meandering” and that “there was no urgency”.

Freya’s mother Carly took her to accident and emergency at about 9pm the day before – November 21, 2012.

Dr Ayeni said that spotting Freya’s septic shock should have been “fairly basic” paediatrics.

She said: “There was no doubt from the beginning that Freya was a child with septic shock.

“There is absolutely no doubt about it. It wasn’t complicated in my opinion.”

Representing Kingston Hospital, Cara Guthrie said in her closing submissions: “This is a desperately sad case.

“The standard of medical care provided to Freya at Kingston Hospital fell short.”

She added: “The trust has taken extensive steps to learn from Freya’s death.”

Shaheen Rahman, representing Dr Ibrahim, said her client “strongly believed in her care plan.”

The inquest, at West London Coroner’s Court, earlier heard a statement from Carly Wells, read out by coroner Dr Sean Cummings.

Miss Wells said: “There were lots of nurses coming to see Freya.

“She wanted hugs all the time and was clearly scared, as was I.

“I was so helpless.”

And Dr Marilyn McDougall told the inquest a child presenting in Freya’s condition could expect about a 95 percent chance of survival, but that that figure drops rapidly every hour.

The inquest will resume on Monday morning.