A doctor omitted details of a phone conversation with the mother of a 12-year-old Gwent boy who died the next day to "avoid any criticism levelled against her", a medical tribunal has been told.

Ryan Morse died at his home in Brynithel, in December 2012, hours after a family GP was said to have refused to make a home visit, despite Ryan's mother telling the doctor he had been unwell all day and his genital area was "black".

Carol Morse told a disciplinary hearing in Manchester that Dr Joanne Rudling told her on the late afternoon of Friday, December 7, that the discoloration was due to "hormones", and she should call back on the Monday to arrange an appointment with a male doctor.

At about 4am the following day Mrs Morse awoke to find her son had died, and it was later determined he had died from the rare Addison's disease.

Two GPs from the Abertillery surgery - Dr Rudling and Dr Lindsey Thomas - were charged with manslaughter by gross negligence.

During their trial, the prosecution accepted the doctors could not have been expected to diagnose Addison's - which affects around 10 in every 100,000 people. A High Court judge ruled there was no case to answer and Dr Rudling was also acquitted of perverting the course of justice.

An inquest in September 2017 concluded that Ryan's death was "due to natural causes where the opportunity to administer lifesaving treatment was missed" as the youngster was not referred to hospital.

On Monday, Dr Rudling faced a Medical Practitioners Tribunal to face allegations of misconduct in relation to her treatment of Ryan.

Peter Horgan, for the General Medical Council (GMC), said that in the months before his death Mrs Morse said her son had been looked at by various GPs at Abernant Surgery.

On July 19 she told a doctor about his symptoms including skin discoloration and a virus was diagnosed and paracetamol prescribed.

Mrs Morse described Ryan's health between July and September as "fluctuating" but throughout October he was unwell as he lost weight and the discoloration remained.

On November 7 she took him to see Dr Rudling and explained his illness and said the discoloration was "prominent".

The GP ordered blood tests but her examination, according to Mrs Morse, was "limited" and her son was not even examined on a couch.

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A fortnight later Dr Rudling informed her that Ryan had a virus and would continue to have his symptoms for a couple of months, the tribunal heard.

But on the morning of December 7 Mrs Morse rang the surgery to say Ryan was "clearly unwell, confused and very weak", and after being advised to give him more paracetamol and sips of water she later became alarmed when she noticed his genital area was black, said Mr Horgan.

Mrs Morse asked Dr Rudling if she would come out to see Ryan but she said no, continued Mr Horgan, and said the discoloured genitals were "to do with his hormones".

Dr Rudling accepts she did not make a contemporaneous note of the conversation and made a retrospective entry on December 10 to make it look as if it was written three days earlier, said Mr Horgan.

He said this was dishonest behaviour and its purpose was to mislead anyone reviewing Ryan's records, which the doctor denies.

Mr Horgan went on: "But what the GMC also allege is that at that stage and when making that entry, the doctor, knowing and being aware of the sad death of Ryan, had failed to record that she had been told Ryan's genitals were black and she refused to undertake a home visit. Matters that should have been placed in that note.

"The doctor's failure to record that... was so as to avoid any criticism levelled against her care and treatment of Ryan."

Andrew Colman, representing Dr Rudling, put it to Mrs Morse that she had "got some things wrong", but he was not accusing her of lying.

He suggested Dr Rudling did examine Ryan lying down on November 7 and that Mrs Morse had not mentioned skin discoloration during that consultation. Mrs Morse disagreed.

Mr Colman said Dr Rudling's recollection of the December 7 phone conversation was different and that Mrs Morse had asked whether the genital symptoms were due to his age, puberty or hormones.

He said Dr Rudling never refused to make a home visit.

Mrs Morse replied: "She did."

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Dr Rudling denies a number of allegations including that on December 7 she failed to obtain an adequate history of Ryan's wellbeing and change in genitalia colour; advise that an urgent assessment was required, and to undertake or offer a home visit.

The hearing continues.