Doctors could have saved a two-year-old girl if they had listened to her family's pleas for help sooner, her parents have claimed.

Rosalind and Gareth Mason have been searching for answers since their daughter Alice died in 2011, and they believe doctors missed nine opportunities to help her before she suffered irreversible brain damage.

Her parents say following chemotherapy at the Royal Marsden Hospital for a brain tumour in February 2011, the toddler took a turn for the worse but doctors there and at Kingston Hospital told the family it was likely to be as a result of the chemotherapy.

A scan days later showed signs of water on the brain, but the family were told to go home, although later they found out the radiologist interpreting the results had not been told about Alice’s symptoms, it is alleged.

It is claimed initially doctors refused to carry out scans - even though specialists had said such checks should be ordered if the child's symptoms worsened.

Her family have said by the time tests were finally carried out Alice had suffered irriversible brain damage caused by water on the brain, and surgery could not save her.

The last time she was conscious the youngster was seen on her hospital bed writhing in pain holding her head. In total, nine opportunities to act on the symptoms were missed, according to the family.

The Masons hope that an inquest next month will help give them closure to what happened.

Mrs Mason, 46, said: "It is not just that she died, not just that her last hour conscious were spent in pain, the question is whether she could have been saved."

"It has taken so long, and it has been really exhausting emotionally, but we have kept trying to push the hospitals to answer our questions, because we want to ensure this never happens to another child."

Mrs Mason said: "It was bad enough that she had a brain tumour, that she had gone through surgery, and chemotherapy, but to be put through all that and then for something so basic to go untreated."

A joint statement from Kingston Hospital NHS Trust, Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust and St George’s Healthcare NHS Trust said: "All three organisations offer their deepest sympathy to Mr and Mrs Mason over the death of their beloved daughter Alice.

"Unfortunately we cannot comment on the details of this case due to ongoing legal proceedings."