A coroner has ruled that Homerton Hospital in east London failed to treat the son of one of its consultants with the required urgency hours before he died of sepsis. William Hewes, 22, a politics and history student at Leeds University, died of meningococcal septicaemia on 21 January. His mother, Dr Deborah Burns, a consultant paediatrician at the hospital, told the inquest she felt “betrayal” towards colleagues who ignored her eight warnings that her son needed antibiotics.
The inquest heard that antibiotics were not administered until 1.25am, delayed due to a misunderstanding between a doctor and nurses. There was also a 90-minute delay in transferring Hewes from A&E to intensive care amid disagreement between medics. The hospital admitted these mistakes were “suboptimal”. Coroner Mary Hassell said it was unclear whether earlier treatment would have saved his life.
Hassell, who also presided over the inquest into the death of 13-year-old Martha Mills in 2021, noted similarities. Martha’s death led to the introduction of Martha’s rule, which gives families the right to request an urgent review of treatment. At Homerton, that rule is now in place. Hassell said she would issue a prevention of future deaths report, recommending that the hospital’s subsequent improvements be shared nationally.
Dr Burns said she had been unable to work at Homerton since her son’s death. She said she raised the alarm eight times but witnessed delays. She also criticised the hospital for closing its investigation without her knowledge, forcing her to conduct her own. Homerton Healthcare NHS trust said it would take on board the coroner’s findings.
