Parents’ anger as son failed by care, found preventable death

By the Editorial Team · Saturday, August 1, 2026

The inquest into the death of 19-year-old Isaac Arrowsmith, who suffered from a rare blood disorder, found that failures in his medical care, including the lack of hospital admission and missed referrals to a virtual ward, contributed to his preventable death. The coroner’s prevention of future deaths report highlights the need to improve protocols for managing complex conditions and timely use of virtual ward services to prevent similar tragedies.

The parents of a 19-year-old man who died from complications linked to a rare blood disorder have criticized the medical care their son received, following an inquest that concluded his death was preventable.

Isaac Arrowsmith, from Macclesfield, had been diagnosed at 18 with Haemoglobin Rainier disease, a rare inherited condition that heightens the risk of blood clots. In the weeks leading up to his death, Isaac experienced symptoms including chest pain, breathlessness, and coughing up blood. On January 2, he collapsed at home and subsequently died from a pulmonary embolism, deep vein thrombosis, and complications related to his blood disorder.

The inquest found that critical errors in Isaac’s care contributed to his death. Notably, he was never referred to the virtual ward team at Macclesfield District General Hospital, a service designed to monitor patients remotely and provide home-based care within 48 hours. The coroner determined that Isaac should have been admitted to the hospital during his deterioration and suggested that timely hospitalization would likely have saved his life.

Coroner Victoria Davies has issued a prevention of future deaths report in response to the findings.

At the onset of his illness in December, Isaac had been diagnosed with pneumonia and discharged without undergoing tests to exclude the possibility of a pulmonary embolism, a decision that has since been questioned.

Neil Arrowsmith, Isaac’s father, expressed his frustration, saying, “It’s hard not to get angry. Isaac should still be here with us today and he isn’t because of mistakes in his care.”

East Cheshire NHS Trust’s chief medical officer, Dr. John Hunter, acknowledged the failings, stating, “We are truly sorry. We have undertaken a review of the areas where we fell short in Isaac’s care.”

The case has brought attention to hospital protocols regarding patients with complex conditions and the use of virtual ward services designed to provide timely intervention. The prevention of future deaths report aims to address these issues to minimize the risk of similar outcomes.

This article was reported by synthesizing coverage from multiple independent news outlets to present a balanced, unbiased account. Read about our editorial standards. Spotted an error? Let us know.