“I do find her death would have likely been prevented and the lack of anticoagulation did cause or contribute to her death probably,” Wilcox said.
Lady Branson, the wife of billionaire Virgin founder Sir Richard Branson, died at The Lister Hospital in Chelsea. Photo / Branson Family
Branson had a history of blood clots dating to 2018 and had received injections of anti-clotting medication during flights and earlier hospital admissions, the Daily Mail reported.
Haematologist Dr George Adams described Branson as “extremely high risk” of developing blood clots.
He said the “biggest risk factor by far was her immobility and her fracture”, the BBC reported.
Branson received no preventive anticoagulation between admission and death. The inquest also heard that admitting doctor Dr Basir Kunduzi did not complete a bleeding-risk assessment when she entered the hospital.
Kunduzi said her death had prompted him to “reflect on my role as a doctor” and on the importance of “good communication between team members”, the BBC reported.
Wilcox stressed that the circumstances did not amount to neglect, saying it was “not a case of neglect” and there “wasn’t an absence of treatment”.
British entrepreneur Richard Branson pictured with his partner, then Joan Templeman, in 1985. Photo / Getty Images
Following her death, Richard Branson penned a tribute to his wife.
“Life will never be the same without her. But we have fifty incredible years of memories – years filled with tears and laughter, kindness, and a love that shaped our family more than words could ever capture,” he wrote.
“Joan was my everything, the shining star around which our family’s universe has always orbited.”