Thursday, September 10, 2026 - The death of Sir Richard Branson’s wife, Joan, could have been prevented if doctors had prescribed medication sooner, a coroner has found.
Joan Branson, 80, died in November 2025 after developing a pulmonary embolism caused by deep vein thrombosis and a pelvic fracture following a fall at the couple’s home on Necker Island in the British Virgin Islands. She was admitted to Lister Hospital in London after experiencing persistent pain following the accident.
The inquest heard that Joan had a history of blood clots dating back to 2010, but hospital staff failed to complete an assessment that would have identified her risk of developing a serious clot.
Doctors said there had been concerns about bleeding and that Joan had previously experienced pain and bruising from anti-clotting injections. However, her daughter Holly Branson, a doctor, disputed the suggestion that her mother had refused the medication. One doctor told the inquest he deeply regretted not persuading her to take it.
Coroner Fiona Wilcox concluded that Joan’s death resulted from complications of the fall and the failure to prescribe the necessary preventive medication. Medical evidence presented at the inquest indicated that earlier anti-clotting treatment would probably have reduced the likelihood of fatal cardiac arrest.
Holly remembered her mother as a warm and kind woman who had a remarkable ability to connect with people and had been a devoted partner to Richard Branson for nearly 50 years.
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