A coroner has ruled that Homerton Hospital in east London failed to treat the son of one of its consultants with antibiotics and fluids with the required urgency hours before he died of sepsis. William Hewes, 22, died of meningococcal septicaemia on 21 January, despite his mother, Dr Deborah Burns, a consultant paediatrician at the hospital, repeatedly warning staff of her son's condition.
The inquest at Bow Coroner's Court heard that Dr Burns suspected meningococcal sepsis when she brought her son to A&E just after midnight. She asked medics to administer antibiotics within the first hour, but they were not given until 1.25am due to a misunderstanding between a doctor and nurses. There was also a 90-minute delay in transferring Hewes from the resuscitation area to intensive care amid a disagreement about escalating his care.
Coroner Mary Hassell said it was unclear whether earlier treatment would have saved Hewes, but noted that the case raised similar issues to the death of 13-year-old Martha Mills in 2021, which led to the adoption of Martha's Rule. This rule gives families the right to a second opinion on medical treatment. Hassell stated she would issue a prevention of future deaths report to Homerton Hospital, urging that its findings be shared nationally.
Dr Burns told the inquest she felt a sense of 'betrayal' towards colleagues who ignored her warnings. She said she raised the alarm eight times and that the antibiotics were given late, outside the recommended guidelines. The hospital admitted the mistakes were 'suboptimal'. Homerton Healthcare NHS trust said it would take on board the coroner's findings and continue to improve its services.
