'My life was completely shattered when doctors missed vital clues to the hidden condition that killed my son'

Last April, Johnny Alfrey was a seemingly healthy young man with a bright future.

The 22-year-old was in the second year of a university degree and dreamed of becoming a professional musician. Two months later, he was dead.

Doctors at Fairfield Hospital in Bury had failed to spot that his heart was failing. In the weeks before his tragic death on June 24 of last year, Johnny visited hospital eight times seeking medical treatment.

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Although tests revealed he had an irregular heart rhythm, medics were left perplexed by his symptoms, which they initially brushed off as signs of anxiety.

Last month, a coroner ruled that Johnny, from Littleborough, Rochdale, would have survived if medics had noticed he had heart failure. Had he been referred to a cardiologist, an inquest heard that Johnny's hidden condition would likely have been identified and he could have been treated.

More than seven months on from Johnny's death, his mum, Julie, is still struggling to come to terms with his loss.

"My life is unrecognisable without Johnny," she said. "Knowing he could have been saved makes me angry.

"The system failed him. We are angry, bitter and bereft. We are broken, much like the system that is the NHS."

At the time of his death, Johnny was a history student at the University of Salford. His true calling was music though. Proficient in a number of instruments, he had previously formed and played in a band with friends.

"That was life," said Julie. "He was amazing, really talented.

"He had huge plans, he wanted to be a megastar. He was a really popular guy, everyone loved him."

Julie enjoyed a close relationship with her son,