A GRIEVING father says he has turned down an offer of more than £10,000 from health chiefs after his teenage son died in hospital.

And Fuad Abbas, from Newbridge, pictured, has pledged to continue fighting to get answers about the death of his son, Eekan, at the University Hospital, Birmingham. But a hospital spokeswoman said a full investigation was carried out into Eekan's death, which concluded he had died of natural causes.

She added: "We have offered something and if he still has questions we would like to talk to him."

Fuad Abbas saw 15-year-old Eekan die within yards of an intensive care unit three days after a kidney transplant.

Mr Abbas has been offered £10,426 by University Hospital, Birmingham, and Birmingham Children's Hospital in full and final settlement of his cases against them.

But he said that is an "insulting and derogatory expression of compensation" for his son's life.

Mr Abbas, 69, of Stonewood View, Newbridge, said: "I want my day in court to get answers from the doctors about why my Eekan died. I want to bring them to court to ask them to answer some basic questions as to why my boy was not moved promptly to the intensive care unit, which was literally a few yards away."

Since Eekan died in February 1997, Mr Abbas has engaged numerous solicitors to fight on his behalf, but has sacked them all.

Mr Abbas said the latest solicitor, from a firm in Leeds, had done a "wonderful job" moving the case forward but he is disappointed that all he has managed to do is get compensation.

Mr Abbas claimed: "The solicitor is doing his utmost to get me to agree to take this money and be satisfied with it and to start a new life. But I don't want to take it. It's not about the money.

"I'm still fighting for court action against the hospital. But my solicitor says there will be no trial of doctors because that is the situation concerning incidents of this nature in this country. But I will spend the last years of my life to get them in court."

A University Hospital spokeswoman said the hospital again offered condolences to Mr Abbas.

She added: "We have had an inquiry, offered conciliation, and if there are still things worrying him we would like him to come in and talk to us. We are happy to talk to him."