The parents of a 17-year-old Eton student who died suddenly while playing sport have described an 'agonising' 10-month wait for a post-mortem report. Raphaël Pryor, described as 'a fit and healthy young man', collapsed on the playing field at Eton College in Berkshire in March 2024 and later died.
Parents call for action on pathologist shortage
His parents, Michael Pryor, 56, and Sabine Vandenbroucke, 55, have written to Health Secretary James Murray demanding action on the 'chronic shortage' of paediatric and perinatal pathologists. These specialists conduct post-mortem examinations after unexplained child deaths to determine cause and identify inherited conditions that could affect relatives.
Ms Vandenbroucke told the Press Association: 'We had no idea that it would take more than 10 months before we would hear any news. So those 10 months were serious agony, wondering what happened, what signs had we missed, what is going on? Is something genetically wrong? What could be the impact for the wider family?'
Anger over avoidable delays
She added that her anger grew during the wait: 'Getting more and more angry, I would say, from my side, certainly, because this was avoidable.' Her frustration increased upon receiving the report: 'We could see from the different elements that the sub reports were all done in the weeks, months after he died. So why did we have to wait that long? It seemed so, so avoidable.'
Raphaël had undergone cardiac screening at school two years before his death, which found 'nothing of any concern', Ms Vandenbroucke said.
Workforce crisis in paediatric pathology
A November 2025 report from the Royal College of Pathologists revealed there are only 52 paediatric and perinatal pathology consultants in the UK, with 37% of consultant posts vacant. Raphaël's parents and the Royal College are calling for resources to fund 37 additional consultant posts to rebuild the workforce.
Ms Vandenbroucke said: 'Raphaël was our only child. He was full of life, active and loved by everyone who knew him. When he died so suddenly, our world stopped. Waiting 10 months for the post-mortem report was agony. How can a healthy boy drop dead just like that? What did we miss? Was there any inherited family condition? No family should have to go through such a long wait. Every delay means parents spending another day without knowing why their child died. It means more nights lying awake with the same unanswered questions.'
Government response
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: 'Our thoughts are with Sabine and Michael following the devastating loss of Raphaël. Bereaved parents have experienced the unthinkable and any avoidable distress to families in this heartbreaking position is unacceptable. We will ensure the right people are in the right places in the NHS by creating 4,500 additional training placements as part of the agreement reached with resident doctors. We will prioritise training posts to ensure they focus on the areas of greatest need.'
