Richard Branson’s wife could have survived with crucial medication, coroner finds

The death of Richard Branson's wife, Lady Joan Branson, could have been prevented if she had received medication to prevent blood clots, a British coroner reportedly found.

Lady Branson died at 80 after being admitted to the hospital in November 2025 after a fall weeks earlier on Necker Island, a British Virgin Island owned by her billionaire husband.

Her cause of death was determined to be a pulmonary embolism caused by deep vein thrombosis (DVT), in which a blood clot travels to the lungs and blocks an artery, the BBC reported.

KIM KARDASHIAN REVEALS NEW HEALTH SCARE WITH HAUNTING CONNECTION TO FATHER'S CANCER DEATH Senior coroner Fiona Wilcox told Westminster Coroner's Court earlier this month that Lady Branson did not receive preventive anticoagulants, commonly known as blood thinners , at the hospital despite a "very high risk of developing deep vein thrombosis," according to the outlet.

According to testimony during the legal inquest, Lady Branson's biggest risk factors included her immobility after a fracture following her fall.

"I do find her death would have likely been prevented and the lack of anticoagulation did cause or contribute to her death probably," Wilcox said.

COMMON ANTIBIOTIC LINKED TO HIGHER RISK OF DEATH IN ADULTS, MAJOR STUDY FINDS Wilcox added, however, that the case was not one of neglect because Branson did receive medical care.

The inquest, she said, was to "explore the facts, come to the correct conclusions and learn lessons from this," The Independent reported.

During the inquest, doctors gave differing testimony about whether bleeding risk justified withholding the medication, namely enoxaparin, an injectable blood thinner commonly used to help prevent blood clots in hospitalized patients.

EVERYDAY HABIT LINKED TO DRAMATICALLY LOWER RISK OF DYING FROM HEART DISEASE The hospital's admitting doctor, Dr.

Basir Kunduzi, testified that he did not complete a bleeding risk assessment on the day of Lady Branson's admission.

Kunduzi said Lady Branson's death led him to "reflect on [his] role as a doctor" and the importance of "good communication between team members," according to the BBC.

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The findings highlight the lifesaving role of blood thinners, which are often used in hospitals to help prevent DVT in patients who are unable to move normally after surgery, fractures or prolonged bed rest.