Coroner Critiques NHS Hospital's Response in Sepsis Case of Doctor's Son

An inquest reveals delays in treatment for William Hewes, raising concerns about patient protocols at Homerton Hospital.

A coroner's inquest has determined that Homerton Hospital in east London failed to provide timely treatment to William Hewes, the 22-year-old son of a hospital consultant, leading to his death from meningococcal septicaemia on January 21. The coroner, Mary Hassell, ruled that there were significant delays in administering lifesaving antibiotics and fluids, which did not meet the urgency required in such critical cases.

William, who was studying politics and history at Leeds University, began feeling ill on January 20 while working on a university essay.

Concerned about his declining condition, his mother, Dr. Deborah Burns, a consultant paediatrician at the same hospital, took him to the A&E department just after midnight.

She expressed a suspicion that he had meningococcal sepsis, a severe and life-threatening condition.

Despite Dr. Burns' repeated requests for immediate treatment, antibiotics were not administered until 1:25 a.m., a delay attributed to a misunderstanding among the medical staff.

Furthermore, there was a significant 90-minute delay in transferring Hewes from the resuscitation area to the intensive care unit, rooted in disagreements among the medical team about the urgency of his treatment escalation.

During the inquest, it was noted that the hospital acknowledged these delays as “suboptimal” but did not provide clarity on whether prompt treatment would have ultimately saved his life.

Hassell stated, “It is unclear whether, if he had been administered all appropriate treatment promptly, his life would have been saved.” The Coroner intends to issue a report to the hospital, highlighting the need for sharing their learnings with the wider NHS community.

The case draws parallels to the death of 13-year-old Martha Mills in 2021, also due to sepsis, which spotlighted issues in patient care and led to the development of Martha’s Rule.

This rule empowers families to request a second opinion regarding medical care, aiming to prevent future tragedies similar to those experienced by both Hewes and Mills.

Dr. Burns expressed profound distress over the lack of timely action and recounted her attempts to alert staff to her son’s condition, stating, “In all, I raised the alarm eight times.” She criticized the hospital’s handling of her son’s case, emphasizing her ongoing efforts to uncover additional concerns related to the care he received.

In response to the inquest's findings, Homerton Healthcare NHS Trust expressed its commitment to learning from the incident and improving protocols for handling similar cases in the future.

The trust acknowledged the impact of William’s death on Dr. Burns and her family, pledging to enhance communication and procedures for staff members’ family members who are patients.

The inquest has highlighted broader systemic issues regarding hospital response times and communication protocols, raising important questions about patient safety procedures within the NHS.