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Lady Joan Branson’s death could likely have been prevented if she had received preventative blood-thinning medication during her stay at a private west London hospital, an inquest has concluded. The 80-year-old wife of Virgin founder Sir Richard Branson died on 24 November last year after suffering a cardiac arrest at the Lister Hospital in Chelsea.
Senior coroner Professor Fiona Wilcox told Westminster Coroner’s Court on Wednesday that Lady Branson was at a “very high risk” of developing deep vein thrombosis but was not given prophylactic anticoagulants during her hospital admission.
Professor Wilcox concluded that the absence of anticoagulation probably caused or contributed to Lady Branson’s death. However, she made clear that the case was not one of neglect and said there had not been an overall absence of medical treatment.
Lady Branson, who was born in Glasgow, was admitted to the Lister Hospital on 17 November after suffering a fall several weeks earlier while on Necker Island in the British Virgin Islands, the private island owned by her husband.
The inquest heard that she had suffered a fracture and became significantly less mobile following the injury. Her reduced mobility was considered a major factor in her risk of developing a blood clot.
Lady Branson later suffered a pulmonary embolism, a serious condition in which a blood clot blocks an artery carrying blood to the lungs. The embolism was caused by deep vein thrombosis and ultimately resulted in the cardiac arrest that led to her death.
Haematologist Dr George Adams told the court that Lady Branson was “extremely high risk” for developing blood clots. He said her immobility and fracture were by far the most significant risk factors.
Despite the identified risk, Lady Branson did not receive prophylactic anticoagulation from the time she entered hospital until her death.
Anticoagulants are medicines used to reduce the likelihood of blood clots forming. Preventative doses can be considered for patients whose illness, injury or restricted movement places them at increased risk of thrombosis.
The court heard that the decision not to provide the medication was particularly significant given Lady Branson’s limited mobility and fracture.
The inquest also examined the assessments carried out when she was admitted to hospital. Dr Basir Kunduzi, the admitting doctor, did not complete a bleeding-risk assessment on the day Lady Branson arrived.
A bleeding-risk assessment is an important part of determining whether anticoagulant medication can safely be given. Doctors must balance the danger of blood clots against the possibility of serious bleeding.
Dr Kunduzi told the inquest that Lady Branson’s death had led him to reflect on his role as a doctor and the importance of effective communication between members of a medical team.
His evidence formed part of the wider examination of how Lady Branson’s risk of developing a blood clot was assessed and managed during her hospital stay.
Professor Wilcox's conclusion focused on the absence of preventative anticoagulation and its likely contribution to the fatal pulmonary embolism.
Daily Dazzling Dawn understands that the coroner did not conclude that Lady Branson had been denied medical care generally. Instead, the finding identified the lack of anticoagulation as a specific factor that probably contributed to the outcome.
Giving her conclusion, Professor Wilcox said she found that Lady Branson’s death would “likely” have been prevented and that the lack of anticoagulation “did cause or contribute to her death probably”.
The finding places particular emphasis on the period between Lady Branson’s admission on 17 November and her death seven days later.
The inquest heard that her condition and restricted mobility made her particularly vulnerable to venous thromboembolism, a condition encompassing deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism.
Pulmonary embolisms can become life-threatening when a clot significantly obstructs blood flow through the lungs. In Lady Branson’s case, the condition ultimately led to the cardiac arrest from which she died.
Professor Wilcox nevertheless stressed that the circumstances did not amount to neglect, distinguishing the specific failure identified in her conclusion from an allegation that Lady Branson had received no medical treatment.
Following Lady Branson’s death, Sir Richard Branson paid tribute to his wife, describing her as the “shining star around which our family's universe has always orbited”.
Lady Branson had shared decades of family life with the entrepreneur, who founded the Virgin Group and became one of Britain’s best-known business figures.
Her death at the age of 80 was followed by widespread tributes from those who knew the couple.
The Westminster inquest has now concluded that Lady Branson’s fatal pulmonary embolism was probably linked to the failure to provide preventative anticoagulant treatment during her hospital stay.
The coroner’s findings provide a detailed account of the medical circumstances surrounding her final days while making clear that the case was not considered one of neglect.
