AvMA calls for Specialist Healthcare Coroners in clinical negligence inquests
Published: 18 Dec 2015
AvMA has today published its response to the Coroners and Justice Act 2009, Post Implementation Review 2015 Call for Evidence.
Among the recommendations, AvMA is calling for a new role of Specialist Healthcare Coroner. It is AvMA’s view that inquests arising out of a death associated with healthcare would be improved if Coroners received specific training in healthcare or had a clinical negligence background. AvMA is also proposing giving coroners the power to impose sanctions on Trusts or Hospitals that failed to provide disclosure in a timely manner.
The full range of recommendations include:
- Greater recognition that the bereaved should be at the centre of the process
- Greater emphasis to be put on the duty of Trust’s and Hospital’s to disclose all documents which may be relevant to the inquest to the Coroner at the earliest possible opportunity
- More information for the bereaved about what they are entitled to receive by way of documents
- Greater access to information for the bereaved
- Greater parity in the court room
- Better dissemination of the learning points from Inquests
- Specialist healthcare Coroners
- Provide Coroners with power to impose sanctions