Abstract
SummaryThe Coroners and Justice Act 2009 promised an overhaul of the coroners' service, introducing much needed efficiencies to benefit people bereaved by suicide and other sudden deaths. Central to these reforms was the introduction of a Chief Coroner to coordinate the system and exercise wider public health responsibilities. The coalition government's proposal to abolish the Chief Coroner's office on grounds of cost, ignoring the potential efficiency gains, has delayed implementation of coronial reforms significantly. With this proposal now abandoned, ministers are expected to appoint an independent Chief Coroner in early 2012. This article describes the intended benefits of the reforms for bereaved relatives, coroners' staff, public sector budgets, and the public health, and explores the reasons behind the delays.
Highlights
Charter for the BereavedThe Bill announced a Charter for the Bereaved setting out a range of service standards and consumer rights.[20] These included material improvements to premises, for example a private room for relatives attending an inquest, as well as improved support and information for any bereaved person brought in contact with the coroner’s service
A proposal to create the role of Chief Coroner presented a more affordable means of improving standards by liberating resources from wasteful bureaucracy
A non-partisan figure such as a Chief Coroner would be best placed to redress this error, where exposing any worsening of suicide rates would not be in the interests of government
Summary
The Bill announced a Charter for the Bereaved setting out a range of service standards and consumer rights.[20] These included material improvements to premises, for example a private room for relatives attending an inquest, as well as improved support and information for any bereaved person brought in contact with the coroner’s service. Information was to be provided on coronial procedures, arrangements for viewing the body, the rationale for a post-mortem, and where and when an inquest would be held. The possibility remained that the Charter might raise public expectations beyond the capabilities of the service,[23] offering bereaved people ‘a list of laudable but unenforceable empty promises’,24 echoing experiences with the National Health Service (NHS) Patients’ Charter.[25] By overstretching coroners’ staff and hampering any uptake of training there was a risk that standards might fall
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