Doctor Watched Son, 22, Die of Sepsis at Hospital Where She Worked After Her Advice was ‘Ignored’: Reports

• Dr. Deborah Burns watched her son William Hewes, 22, die from sepsis at the hospital in London where she works
• Speaking before a hearing ahead of the inquest into Hewes’ death, Burns claimed her advice was “ignored” ahead of her son’s death, according to The Times
• “I was present throughout his admission. I witnessed him receiving inadequate care despite my raising concerns. I was not listened to at the time and I watched him die,” she said, per multiple outlets

A doctor watched her son die of sepsis at the hospital where she works in England, according to reports.

In January 2023, William Hewes, 22, died within 24 hours of being admitted to Homerton Hospital in east London with meningitis, which then turned into sepsis, per The Times, The Telegraph and The Independent.

On Thursday, Dec. 19, Hewes’ mother, Deborah Burns — who is head of pediatrics at the hospital, where she’s worked for over 20 years — attended a brief hearing ahead of the inquest into her son’s death at Poplar Coroner’s Court. 

Before the hearing, the 63-year-old claimed her advice was “ignored” and that doctors provided “inadequate care” for her son, according to The Times.

“I was present throughout his admission. I witnessed him receiving inadequate care despite my raising concerns. I was not listened to at the time and I watched him die,” Burns said in a statement provided by her lawyers, per the outlets.

“Since then, I have met with almost two years of resistance and lack of engagement. This has taken a terrible toll on me and my family and added another layer of pain to our grief,” she added.

Hewes’ father, Jonathan Hewes, 66 — who was executive producer on the Oscar-winning 2008 documentary Man on Wire — was also in attendance at Thursday’s hearing, according to The Times.

William Hewes — who had been studying history and politics at Leeds University but was home in Canonbury, north London, when he became sick — was said to have been “fit and healthy” before he was admitted to the hospital, per the outlets.

“All I was asking was for an open, honest and thorough investigation to take place so that vital lessons could be learnt from William’s death,” Burns, who has three other children, said, per the outlets. “I have a personal moral duty and professional obligation to act on what I witnessed. The added dimension is that it is my workplace.”

“I wanted to help prevent what happened to William happening to other young people, to give them the best chances of survival, to be able to continue to live their lives, to contribute to society, to love and be loved, as William very much was,” Burns added.

A spokesperson for the Homerton Healthcare National Health Service (NHS) Foundation Trust said in a statement obtained by PEOPLE, “Losing a child is an unimaginable tragedy, and our hearts go out to Dr Burns and her family during this devastating time. We extend our deepest condolences and want to acknowledge the profound impact this loss has had on Dr Burns and her family.”

“Whilst we cannot comment on the circumstances which led to William’s death as we await the full inquest to be heard, we have taken the appropriate steps in the Trust over the past 22 months to continue to reinforce the awareness of suspected sepsis in patients coming into our Emergency Department,” the statement added.

It continued, “As a member of our consultant pediatric medical team, Dr Burns has always been a much admired and respected member of our staff at Homerton. We have reached out to Dr Burns on a number of occasions over the past 22 months and will continue to do so. Our thoughts remain with Dr Burns and her family during this incredibly difficult time.”

Lawyer Kate Rohde, who is representing the Hewes family, said, “It is difficult to understand how an organisation to which Deborah dedicated her life as a pediatrician could so profoundly let her and her son down,” The Times reported.

“If Deborah, an experienced pediatrician, was not listened to, what hope do other parents have of getting doctors to hear their concerns?” Rohde added, according to the outlet.

A spokesperson for the lawyer told PEOPLE in an email, “This case is pre-inquest so no further comment at present.”

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Per the World Health Organization, sepsis “is a life-threatening condition that happens when the body’s immune system has an extreme response to an infection, causing organ dysfunction.”

Since Hewes’ death, the NHS has introduced Martha’s Rule, which “is a major patient safety initiative providing patients and families with a way to seek an urgent review if their or their loved one’s condition deteriorates and they are concerned this is not being responded to,” according to its website. The rule is currently still in its pilot year and came after 13-year-old Martha Mills’ family expressed concerns about her deteriorating condition before she died from sepsis in 2021, the NHS said.

The inquest into Hewes’ death has been adjourned until Feb. 13, per The Telegraph andThe Independent.

According to Dr. Ron Daniels — who is a chief medical officer at the U.K. Sepsis Trust and is also acting as an expert witness for the family — the inquest “will try to ascertain whether life-saving treatments, including antibiotics, were delivered in the right time,” The Times reported.

The U.K. Sepsis Trust and Poplar Coroner’s Court did not immediately respond when contacted by PEOPLE for comment. Hewes’ family has so far raised over $48,000 on a JustGiving page for the Meningitis Research Foundation as of Friday, Dec. 20.