Parents of Eton pupil, 17, waited an 'agonising' 10 months for post-mortem report after his death
The parents of Raphaël Pryor have called for action from the Health Secretary amid a 'chronic shortage' of paediatric and perinatal pathologists.
The parents of a 17-year-old boy who died after collapsing while at Eton said they waited an “agonising” 10 months for a full post-mortem examination report.
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Raphaël Pryor, who his family described as "a fit and healthy young man", died after collapsing while playing sport at Eton College in March 2024.
Following his death, his parents, Michael Pryor and Sabine Vandenbroucke, have urged Health Secretary James Murray to tackle what they say is a chronic shortage of paediatric and perinatal pathologists.
The highly specialised doctors investigate the unexplained deaths of babies and children, with their findings helping families understand why a loved one died and whether an inherited condition could put other relatives at risk.
A lack of specialists has resulted in long delays for post-mortem reports, leaving many grieving families waiting months for answers and, in some cases, delaying potentially lifesaving genetic screening.
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Ms Vandenbroucke said: “We had no idea that it would take more than 10 months before we would hear any news.
“So those 10 months were serious agony, wondering what happened, what signs had we missed, what is going on? Is something genetically wrong? What could be the impact for the wider family?”
Describing the wait, she added: “Getting more and more angry, I would say, from my side, certainly, because this was avoidable.”
She also said: “And, actually, that anger was even increased when we received the post-mortem report, because we could see from the different elements that the sub reports were all done in the weeks, months after he died.
“So why did we have to wait that long? It seemed so, so avoidable.”
Figures published by the Royal College of Pathologists last November found there were only 52 paediatric and perinatal pathology consultants working across the UK, with more than a third of consultant posts sitting vacant.
The college also highlighted major regional gaps in provision, with no consultants based in Northern Ireland, the Midlands or the South West of England, forcing families to rely on services elsewhere.
Its research found one in five bereaved families waited at least six months to receive a post-mortem report after the death of a baby or child.
Mr Pryor said: “We cannot bring Raphaël back, but we can try to stop other families being left in the same painful uncertainty.
“The Government has already promised 1,000 new specialty training posts. We are asking for just 37 of them to be used to rebuild this vital service."
Dr Clair Evans of the Royal College of Pathologists said: “Paediatric and perinatal pathology services are in a state of collapse.
“Paediatric and perinatal pathologists are working continuously under significant pressure to provide high-quality care but this is leading to stress and burnout.
"Without urgent action, this critical situation will only get worse.”
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “Our thoughts are with Sabine and Michael following the devastating loss of Raphaël.
“Bereaved parents have experienced the unthinkable and any avoidable distress to families in this heartbreaking position is unacceptable.
“We will ensure the right people are in the right places in the NHS by creating 4,500 additional training placements as part of the agreement reached with resident doctors.”