Doctor mum left 'feeling betrayed’ by colleagues after son dies at hospital she worked at

A senior doctor has told how she has been left battling 'feelings of betrayal' following her son's death at the hospital where she worked.

Deborah Burns has not returned to London's Homerton University Hospital - where she worked for more than 20 years - since the passing of her 22-year-old William Hewes.

The sporty young lad, who was studying history and politics at university, tragically died in January 2023 after a meningococcal infection led to meningitis, which later developed into sepsis.

Sepsis is a serious condition which occurs when the body responds improperly to an infection, damaging your body's own tissues and organs, according to the NHS.

An inquest at Bow Coroners’ Court has heard how William passed away within 24 hours of being admitted to Homerton University Hospital.

He arrived at 12.06am before being rushed into the hospital’s resuscitation area, and eventually, he was admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) at around 4am.

On Friday (14 February), the inquest heard how Dr Burns believed that her son was left 'unmonitored and untreated in resus for far too long' and that his care 'was no better in the ICU until it was too late'.

Extracts from the mother's statement were read at the inquest, while the mum also entered the witness box to tell how her family have lost 'a mighty human being'.

"The grief will never go away", Dr Burns told the court. "It is impossible for words to describe adequately the pain of this immense loss and the feelings of betrayal that I feel about William’s death and the aftermath."

Dr Deborah Burns has told how she has been left feeling 'betrayed' after her son's death (PA/Family Handout)

Earlier this week, the inquest heard how medical staff had failed to swiftly administer antibiotics to the 22-year-old, and failed to do so within an hour of his arrival at hospital as per national guidelines.

Medics involved in William's care said they did not recall his mother raising the issue about her son's medication to them before he finally received some at 1.25am.

In her statement, Dr Burns said she believes the antibiotics were only administered 'because she was there', adding: "I raised concern about the lack of antibiotics eight times before they were administered."

She explained he originally only had one cannula, via which he received one type of medication at a time - ondansetron, fluid, two doses of morphine and paracetamol.

"By 1.15am I had become desperate and tried to squeeze some of the paracetamol through in order to free up the cannula for the antibiotics," the consultant paediatrician said.

"From my direct experience as a witness, what I have seen in the notes, on CCTV and in statements, medical staff involved in William’s care failed to observe him in any clinically useful way. He was not himself.

"He was increasingly uncomfortable and agitated, he had poor perfusion with cold peripheries, he had blurred vision on arrival and his vision deteriorated."

Dr Burns described a 'scene of chaos' and 'a very tense atmosphere' in the room when the decision was made to intubate William, which she said left her in 'deep despair'.

"I had a suspicion we would lose him completely as his blood pressure would fall on intubation," she continued. "It was at this point I decided to call William’s father as I suspected he would never see William again if he didn’t come to the hospital as soon as possible."

William (right) pictured with his three siblings Theo, Edward and Emily (PA/Family Handout)

Dr Burns paid tribute to her 'fiercely intelligent, insightful and very funny' boy who 'made people smile just by turning up'.

"The world is a quieter and less vibrant place without him," she said. "We feel we have lost a mighty human being."

The inquest heard that Dr Mathuratha Sivasubramaniam, the ICU registrar working the evening William was admitted, was asked to review him multiple times.

She then phoned the ICU consultant on call, Dr Petr Dlouhy, and a decision was made to transfer the young lad to intensive care.

A statement was read out from Dr Sivasubramaniam, who has since moved abroad, which outlined why she initially opted not to admit William to the ICU.

Dr Dlouhy told the court that his colleague 'should have' reported William's condition to him earlier, saying that if she had done, he would have admitted him into ICU at that point.

He told the hearing that he didn't know whether this would have changed the outcome, however, he accepted that it was likely that some treatments would have begun sooner.

Dr Ron Daniels, founder and chief executive of the UK Sepsis Trust, told the court he believed William was likely to have survived if he had received prompt care.

He said it is 'perfectly possible' for non-specialist medical staff to deliver the necessary treatment, and even if the 22-year-old would have still succumbed to his illness, 'at least we would have had a family who knew that everything had been done and that this was just terrible fate'.

Dr Daniels said doctors should 'drop everything and absolutely focus with laser sharp priority' on patients with William's symptoms.

The inquest into William's death will resume on 12 March.