The parents of a young Etonian who suddenly collapsed and died have called on the Health Secretary to address the “chronic shortage” of paediatric and perinatal pathologists.14:36, 11 Jul 2026The parents of a 17-year-old boy who died suddenly while playing sport at Eton have spoken of the 'agonising' 10 month wait for a post-mortem report to explain his death.‌Raphaël Pryor was “a fit and healthy young man” before he collapsed in March 2024 on the playing field at Eton College, Berkshire, one of Britain’s oldest and most exclusive public schools, and subsequently died.‌His parents, Michael Pryor, 56, and Sabine Vandenbroucke, 55, have called on Health Secretary James Murray to address the “chronic shortage” of paediatric and perinatal pathologists.‌These specialists carry out post-mortem examinations after the unexplained death of a baby or a child to help families to understand what happened and whether there are inherited conditions which could affect siblings or other relatives.But a significant shortage of paediatric and perinatal pathologists nationwide means grieving families have to wait, delaying potentially lifesaving screenings for relatives who could be at risk.‌Ms Vandenbroucke said she had “no idea” the wait for Raphaël’s post-mortem examination would take so long, and that she became “more and more angry” as the months went by.“We had no idea that it would take more than 10 months before we would hear any news," she told the Press Association.“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?”‌Asked how she felt during the wait, Ms Vandenbroucke said: “Getting more and more angry, I would say, from my side, certainly, because this was avoidable.”She added: “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.”‌Ms Vandenbroucke also said Raphaël had undergone cardiac screening at school two years before his death, and that “nothing of any concern was found”.A report from the Royal College of Pathologists, published in November last year, found there were just 52 paediatric and perinatal pathology consultants across the UK, with 37% of consultant posts vacant.Raphaël’s parents and the Royal College of Pathologists are calling for resources to be set aside for 37 of paediatric and perinatal pathology consultant posts to start rebuilding the workforce.‌Ms Vandenbroucke said: “Raphaël was our only child. He was full of life, active and loved by everyone who knew him. When he died so suddenly, our world stopped.“Waiting 10 months for the post-mortem report was agony. How can a healthy boy drop dead just like that? What did we miss? Was there any inherited family condition?“No family should have to go through such a long wait.‌“Every delay means parents spending another day without knowing why their child died. It means more nights lying awake with the same unanswered questions.”She added: “It remains a surreal, surreal thing that a very healthy, happy boy can just drop dead like that.”A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “Our thoughts are with Sabine and Michael following the devastating loss of Raphaël.Article continues below“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.“We will prioritise training posts to ensure they focus on the areas of greatest need.”