THE mother of a teenager who suffered a blow to the head at school says she and his GP had to fight for him to receive a scan - even though he had undergone recent brain surgery.

Louis Despres, 13, of Southbourne, Bournemouth, was diagnosed with an arachnoid cyst on the brain earlier this year. He had an operation at Southampton in April.

A week later, he fell and hit his head. After being given a CT scan at Bournemouth, he was "blue-lighted" to Southampton for emergency treatment.

Louis was injured again on September 13 and taken to Bournemouth A&E, where he was told to take painkillers and see his GP if he got worse. He continued to suffer headaches, dizziness and sickness.

His family doctor contacted the neurological unit at Southampton, which recommended Louis should have another scan. The GP then rang Bournemouth.

"He spent an hour requesting, demanding, then pleading for the scan," said Louis's mother Charmaine Despres.

But Mrs Despres says the hospital told them Louis had to go to Poole hospital, which handles paediatric cases.

There, he was told to return after the weekend, when he was given an MRI scan. Doctors at Southampton diagnosed post-concussion syndrome and he was sent home.

A spokesman for Bournemouth hospital said: "Any patient admitted to A&E with a head injury receives a thorough assessment.

"A scan is arranged when symptoms indicate a need. Some scans carry the risk of exposure to radiation, so are not ordered as a matter of routine."

She added that the care received by Louis was "appropriate" for a conscious patient showing no immediate signs of needing a scan. "There is no evidence of a delay in the treatment received," she said.

A Poole Hospital spokesman said: "We're sorry to learn of the family's distress.

"For reasons of confidentiality, we can't discuss the details on an individual's care.

"However we will look into the situation and would welcome the opportunity to talk with the family."