Hospital Failures Contributed To Lady Branson's Death
A UK coroner has concluded that a private London hospital's failure to provide preventative blood-thinning medication contributed to the death of Lady Joan Branson. Lady Branson, the wife of Virgin Group founder Sir Richard Branson, passed away from a pulmonary embolism following a fall on Necker Island in the British Virgin Islands. The court ruled that her death was likely preventable, though the circumstances did not legally amount to neglect.
A British coroner has ruled that a private London hospital's failure to administer preventative blood-thinning medication contributed to the death of Lady Joan Branson, wife of Virgin Group founder Sir Richard Branson. Lady Branson, 80, died at the private Lister Hospital in Chelsea, west London, after suffering a cardiac arrest caused by a pulmonary embolism.
The medical emergency developed following a fall she had sustained several weeks earlier at the family's home on Necker Island in the British Virgin Islands. At Westminster Coroner's Court, Senior Coroner Professor Fiona Wilcox concluded that Lady Branson's death would likely have been prevented had she received prophylactic anticoagulation, a standard preventative treatment used to lower the risk of fatal blood clots.
Wilcox stated that the lack of anticoagulation probably caused or contributed to her passing. The inquest revealed that Lady Branson was admitted to the London facility on November 17, where she remained without preventative anticoagulants until her death. Haematologist Dr George Adams testified that Lady Branson was at an extremely high risk of developing deep vein thrombosis due to her fracture and immobility.
The court also learned that the admitting physician, Dr Basir Kunduzi, failed to carry out a required bleeding-risk assessment on the day of her admission. Despite finding that the lack of medication contributed to her death, Professor Wilcox stopped short of finding medical neglect, noting that there was not an absence of medical treatment overall during her hospital stay.
Lady Branson was a beloved and familiar presence in the British Virgin Islands community for decades, sharing a deep and lasting connection to the territory through Necker Island and the wider Virgin Group network. Following her passing, Sir Richard paid tribute to his wife, describing her as the shining star around which their family's universe always orbited.
Primary source: Guavaberry