Doctors ignored vital blood test results which should have told them a man's life was in danger, it has emerged.

An internal probe ordered by health chiefs into the case of father-of-five Abdul Waqar Sheir - highlighted in the Telegraph & Argus in May - has revealed serious errors were made by staff at Bradford Royal Infirmary.

Mr Sheir's grieving family now want an independent inquiry into the case and they are pressing hospital bosses to discipline the doctors who made mistakes.

During repeated trips to both the hospital and his GP, anguished Mr Sheir and his increasingly distressed relatives were never told what was wrong with him. Instead staff said the problems were in his mind, and even referred him for psychiatric care.

He collapsed and died of liver failure, five days after first seeking help.

An inquest into Mr Sheir's death has been opened and adjourned. It is expected to be resumed later this year.

Mr Sheir, 34, of Lytton Road, Bradford, sought help for abdominal swelling, pain, fainting and a yellow complexion. He was seen in the accident and emergency department on May 3 and sent home after tests.

The following evening a consultant biochemist at the hospital received Mr Sheir's test results showing his liver enzyme (ALT) was 100 times normal levels. He telephoned a ward suggesting that Mr Sheir be recalled to hospital - but the registrar on duty decided no further action was required.

In a letter to Mr Sheir's family, Rose Stephens, director of patient care for Bradford Hospitals NHS Trust, who carried out the investigation, states: "The Specialist Registrar made an incorrect judgement about recalling Mr Sheir back to hospital.

"He should have discussed the result with the on-call consultant. It is our deep regret that this error of judgement was made.

"The full implication of this action will not become clear until the cause of death is established by a Coroner."

Three days later, Mr Sheir visited casualty again and saw a doctor who did not check his test results.

"With hindsight, the doctor thinks that she possibly should have obtained the results and would like to express her regret that she did not do so," says Mrs Stephens.

Instead, the doctor made arrangements for Mr Sheir to be seen at Lynfield Mount psychiatric hospital later that day.

"The mistakes they made were serious and life-endangering," said Mr Sheir's brother, Abdul Rashid Sheir.

"These doctors had two sets of blood results which pointed to liver disease, but they ignored or missed them. Instead it is written in his notes that he was 'somatising' (i.e. it was all in his mind).

"The hospital must accept that it's at least possible that serious, reckless mistakes like these could cause a death, and the doctors should be punished in the strongest possible way."

Mr Sheir had a history of mental health problems but he was not a troublemaker or a hypochondriac, according to his relatives.

A Trust spokesman told the T&A said: "We have investigated the allegations and made a full statement to the family. It would be inappropriate to make any further comment in public about this issue."