Richard Branson’s wife’s death could have been ‘prevented’: coroner
An inquest concluded that Lady Joan Branson's death from a pulmonary embolism could likely have been prevented with proper blood-thinning treatment.
The death of Lady Joan Branson, wife of Virgin Group founder Sir Richard Branson, could have been averted had medical staff administered preventative blood-thinning treatments following a severe domestic fall, a coroner’s inquest has concluded. Lady Joan, who was married to the billionaire entrepreneur for decades, passed away at the age of 80 after experiencing a cardiac arrest at the private Lister Hospital in Chelsea, west London.
According to proceedings at Westminster Coroner’s Court, Lady Joan was admitted to the facility on 17 November 2025. Weeks prior, she had suffered a fall at the family's luxury Necker Island retreat in the British Virgin Islands, resulting in sustained fractures to her pelvis and right hip. Independent medical experts told the virtual inquest that her severe immobility alongside these fractures placed her at an exceptionally high risk of developing deep vein thrombosis, which ultimately triggered a fatal pulmonary embolism — a sudden blockage in a lung artery.
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Senior coroner for Inner West London, Professor Fiona Wilcox, stated during her conclusions that while the situation did not amount to neglect and was not an absence of overall treatment, the lack of intervention directly contributed to the tragic outcome. I do find her death would have likely been prevented and the lack of anticoagulation did cause or contribute to her death probably,
Professor Wilcox said, as reported by Page Six.
The inquest detailed a cascading series of oversights by medical personnel at the facility, which is owned and operated by HCA Healthcare. Dr George Adams, a consultant haematologist who provided expert testimony, noted that Lady Joan received no prophylactic anticoagulation — treatments designed to stop dangerous blood clots from forming, from the time of her admission until her death. Dr Adams maintained that appropriate blood-thinning medication would have reduced the number and size of clots, significantly lowering the risk of a fatal event.
| Key Inquest Findings | Clinical Detail / Testimony |
|---|---|
| Primary Cause of Death | Pulmonary embolism resulting from deep vein thrombosis, following a fall and subsequent immobility. |
| Preventative Measure Omitted | Prophylactic anticoagulation (such as Enoxaparin injections) and timely Venous Thromboembolism (VTE) risk assessments. |
| Medical Admissions Oversight | Admitting doctor Dr Basir Kunduzi failed to complete a bleeding risk assessment on arrival, delaying therapy for a CT scan. |
| Additional Deficits | Thrombo-Embolus Deterrent (TED) compression stockings were reportedly absent for the first 48 hours. |
Testimony from the hospital’s admitting physician, Dr Basir Kunduzi, revealed that he elected to delay prescribing anti-clotting injections on the day of admission because he believed a fall created a bleeding risk, preferring to await a CT scan first. Dr Kunduzi acknowledged that he recorded the omission in patient notes but assumed incoming colleagues would review his decision. He admitted that the tragedy forced him to reflect heavily on his role and the vital necessity of robust communication between medical team members.
Resident medical officer Dr Nevil Pavithran subsequently testified that the patient should have received her initial dose of anticoagulation prophylaxis within 12 hours of arrival, adding that the failure to do so created a significant risk.
The family's perspective was underscored by statements from the couple's daughter, Dr Holly Branson, who noted in an email to the court that her mother was accustomed to anti-blood clot injections from previous medical episodes and long-haul travel. Dr Branson also highlighted that anti-clot compression stockings were not provided during the initial 48 hours of her mother's hospital stay, an omission she regarded as an oversight by the nursing and medical staff.
Sir Richard Branson initially announced his wife's passing on social media in November 2025, describing her at the time as his best friend, his rock, and the central guiding light of their family. Subsequent tributes from the billionaire and his relatives celebrated a 50-year partnership defined by shared resilience, philanthropy, and family devotion.
What to Watch Next
- Further developments concerning corporate restructuring and sector updates across related industries, as seen in wider broadcaster reporting and BBC coverage of the inquest's concluding recommendations.
