London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Jun 20, 2025

Ollie Bibby: Hospital apologises to mum unable to visit dying son

Ollie Bibby: Hospital apologises to mum unable to visit dying son

A hospital has apologised and pledged to review visiting restrictions after it prevented parents from seeing their dying son in his final weeks.

Ollie Bibby, of South Benfleet, Essex, died of leukaemia at University College London Hospital (UCLH) on 5 May.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer highlighted the case in the House of Commons on Wednesday.

Mr Bibby's mother Penny said: "All we want from this is for policies to be reviewed. This has to stop."

Mrs Bibby said the letter from Tim Jaggard, acting chief executive of UCLH, was a "pleasant surprise" and she hoped it would help other people be with their loved ones in hospital.

"This is the outcome we wanted. We just don't want any other families to go through this. We feel like Ollie would be proud of us for taking a stand on this," she said.

Ollie was a non-materialistic, old-fashioned person with lots of friends and a passion for football, his family said

She said Mr Jaggard wrote that the hospital was trying "to get the balance right between keeping patients safe and compassion" and was "sorry" if it failed at this.

He added: "I would like to assure you we are reviewing how we implement the national guidance."

Mrs Bibby said it was not fair that visiting rules were "like a lottery", with each hospital interpreting national government guidance differently.

'Treated like criminals'


Her 27-year-old son died the day before Matt Hancock was filmed kissing a colleague, prompting his resignation as health secretary.

Mrs Bibby subsequently said she was "livid" he broke social distancing rules, as she was prevented from being with her son.

While he was dying in hospital, her son felt like he was "in prison", she said, and begged to see his family, but they were "treated like criminals" and "barely allowed in" due to Covid restrictions.

Sir Keir raised the case in the first Prime Minister's Questions since Mr Hancock resigned.

However, Mrs Bibby said she felt Boris Johnson "dismissed" his question and avoided answering it.

Ollie's parents Simon and Penny were angry that Matt Hancock had broken social distancing rules while they were stopped from seeing their son
Ollie's girlfriend Georgia was only allowed to see him twice in the seven weeks he was in hospital before he died
In a statement, a UCLH spokesperson said the hospital had always followed national visiting guidelines to protect patients, many of whom were extremely vulnerable, from Covid-19.

"We know safety needs to be balanced with compassion for patients' individual circumstances so our staff do have some scope for discretion around visiting," they said.

Additional visiting arrangements had been put in place for Mr Bibby's family, they added.

"It has been a challenge to strike this balance during the pandemic but we believe our staff have always tried their best in very difficult circumstances and we are always looking at how we can improve further.

"We are reviewing how we implement national visiting guidance during the pandemic and listening to what our patients and their families tell us about the impact it has on their care.

"We are in contact with Oliver's family to learn from their experiences and our deepest sympathies go to his parents, brothers and wider family and friends at this very difficult time."

Ollie was very close to his family, including his three brothers Sam, Casey and Ronnie

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
FBI and Senate Investigate Allegations of Chinese Plot to Influence the 2020 Election in Biden’s Favor Using Fake U.S. Driver’s Licenses
Vietnam Emerges as Luxury Yacht Destination for Ultra‑Rich
Plans to Sell Dutch Embassy in Bangkok Face Local Opposition
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump's $5 Million 'Trump Card' Visa Program Draws Nearly 70,000 Applicants
DGCA Finds No Major Safety Concerns in Air India's Boeing 787 Fleet
Airlines Reroute Flights Amid Expanding Middle East Conflict Zones
Elon Musk's xAI Seeks $9.3 Billion in Funding Amid AI Expansion
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Taiwan Imposes Export Ban on Chips to Huawei and SMIC
Israel has just announced plans to strike Tehran again, and in response, Trump has urged people to evacuate
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Juncker Criticizes EU Inaction on Trump Tariffs
EU Proposes Ban on New Russian Gas Contracts
Analysts Warn Iran May Resort to Unconventional Warfare
Iranian Regime Faces Existential Threat Amid Conflict
Energy Infrastructure Becomes War Zone in Middle East
UK Home Secretary Apologizes Over Child Grooming Failures
Trump Organization Launches 5G Mobile Network and Golden Handset
Towcester Hosts 2025 English Greyhound Derby Amid Industry Scrutiny
Gary Oldman and David Beckham Knighted in King's Birthday Honours
Over 30,000 Lightning Strikes Recorded Across UK During Overnight Storms
Princess of Wales Returns to Public Duties at Trooping the Colour
Red Arrows Use Sustainable Fuel in Historic Trooping the Colour Flypast
Former Welsh First Minister Addresses Unionist Concerns Over Irish Language
Iran Signals Openness to Nuclear Negotiations Amid Ongoing Regional Tensions
France Bars Israeli Arms Companies from Paris Defense Expo
King Charles Leads Tribute to Air India Crash Victims at Trooping the Colour
Jack Pitchford Embarks on 200-Mile Walk to Support Stem Cell Charity
Surrey Hikers Take on Challenge of Climbing 11 Peaks in a Single Day
UK Deploys RAF Jets to Middle East Amid Israel-Iran Tensions
Two Skydivers Die in 'Tragic Accident' at Devon Airfield
Sainsbury's and Morrisons Accused of Displaying Prohibited Tobacco Ads
UK Launches National Inquiry into Grooming Gangs
Families Seek Closure After Air India Crash
Gold Emerges as Global Safe Haven Amid Uncertainty
Trump Reports $57 Million Earnings from Crypto Venture
Trump's Military Parade Sparks Concerns Over Authoritarianism
Nationwide 'No Kings' Protests Challenge Trump's Leadership
UK Deploys Jets to Middle East Amid Rising Tensions
Trump's Anti-War Stance Tested Amid Israel-Iran Conflict
Germany Holds First Veterans Celebration Since WWII
U.S. Health Secretary Dismisses CDC Vaccine Advisory Committee
Minnesota Lawmaker Melissa Hortman and Husband Killed in Targeted Attack; Senator John Hoffman and Wife Injured
Exiled Iranian Prince Reza Pahlavi Urges Overthrow of Khamenei Regime
×