A YOUNG mum is to lodge an official complaint against her family doctor after a vaccination mix-up claim.

Emma Hook, 23, and her partner Ian Whalley have started the procedure rolling after her life-long GP gave her 15-weeks-old son Ben Whalley the MMR vaccination meant for his two-years-old brother, Scott.

They claim the doctor should be struck off the medical register and have sent a letter of complaint to the Health Care Commission in Manchester.

Emma, of Devonshire Road, Atherton, says she took her two sons to the surgery last Thursday for Scot to have his MMR jab and baby Ben, who was born prematurely, to have his first injections.

She alleges that after Ben was given his injection she was sent out of the surgery and called back later to be told that he had been given the wrong one.

"I went numb, I didn't know what to do. Babies are not supposed to have the MMR jab until they are at least 13 months old. We were advised to take him to Wigan Infirmary and there staff rang the Department of Health to see what might happen. Ben was examined by specialists, who told us we were lucky he was under six months old as his immune system was not fully developed.

"He had a very high temperature but thankfully he now seems OK. Had he been two months older what would have happened then?

"I am very angry, how can a doctor mix up two injections and give them to the wrong children? I want to make sure this does not happen to anyone else.

"He has been my doctor for 23 years, and this is not the first trouble I have had, but it is the first and last time that Ben will see him. I will change doctors and the children will have their injections then."

A spokesman for the surgery refused to comment.

A spokesman for the Health Care Commission said information was confidential but the couple would have been advised that to follow the NHS complaints procedure they should first lodge a complaint with the practice manager and the complaints manager at the Primary Care Trust.