An inquest has heard that Joan Branson, the 80-year-old wife of Sir Richard Branson, died from a "massive" blood clot on her lung after doctors at a London hospital failed to give her anti-clotting medication despite her known history of blood clots. Lady Branson had been admitted to the Lister Hospital in Chelsea following a fall at the family's Necker Island home that left her with pelvic and hip fractures, and died a week later. Her daughter, Dr Holly Branson, disputed hospital claims that her mother had refused the injections, saying this was inconsistent with her usual willingness to take such medication during travel and previous hospital stays.

The Inner West London Coroner's Court, led by coroner Fiona Wilcox, heard that Lady Branson was admitted on 17 November 2025 after a GP referral for persistent pain and died on 24 November. Dr Basir Kunduzi, the doctor on duty, admitted he believed she should have been given anti-coagulant injections and accepted it was his responsibility to prescribe them, but said he delayed doing so pending a CT scan due to bleeding concerns following her fall. Dr Branson also said her mother was not given compression stockings for up to 48 hours after admission, which staff acknowledged as an oversight. Neither Sir Richard nor Dr Branson attended the inquest in person, though Dr Branson submitted a written statement.