30-04-2025
Harold Macmillan's right-hand man died after A&E delay, inquest told
His condition deteriorated during the wait and he died two days later in hospital, the inquest heard.
The Inner West London Coroner's Court was told on Wednesday that Mr Byam Shaw was returning from a visit to his wife, Constance, on Sept 23 2024 when he fell on the stairs to his flat in Notting Hill, west London, and hit his head.
Jean Harkin, the assistant coroner, told the hearing: 'On the way back up the stairs, he had fallen. The fall was heard by his wife, who found him on the floor.
'She alerted his daughter and London Ambulance Service were called and attended, taking him to hospital. The patient had been awake and talking the entire time.'
The inquest heard he had a laceration at the back of his head but the bleeding had stopped before the ambulance arrived.
A scan later revealed he had suffered a subdural haematoma, an area of bleeding between the skull and surface of the brain.
'A CT scan was performed, confirming the unsurvivable brain injury,' Ms Harkin said.
'His family were made aware his haematoma was likely life-ending and a decision was therefore made to focus on comfort care.'
Mr Byam Shaw died at the hospital shortly at approximately 6.50am on Sept 25, the hearing heard.
His exact cause of death was 'acute traumatic subdural haematoma following a fall'.
Mr Byam Shaw joined Macmillan Publishers in 1964 as an international sales executive and became the protégé of former prime minister Mr Macmillan, who founded the company in 1920.
Mr Byam Shaw worked as chief executive and chairman of Macmillan Publishers for more than 30 years and helped launch the international expansion of the company in Asia, Africa, and the American continent.
He also started influential academic journals including Nature Medicine and Nature Genetics.
