Coroners, post-mortems, and inquests
Coroners are independent judicial officers who investigate deaths reported to them. They will make whatever inquiries are necessary to find out the cause of death, this includes ordering a post-mortem examination, obtaining witness statements and medical records, or holding an inquest.
Deaths reported to a Coroner
A death is reported to a Coroner in the following situations:
- a doctor did not treat the person during their last illness
- a doctor did not see or treat the person for the condition from which they died within 28 days of death
- the cause of death was sudden, violent, or unnatural such as an accident, or suicide
- the cause of death was murder
- the cause of death was an industrial disease of the lungs such as asbestosis
- the death occurred in any other circumstances that may require investigation
A death in hospital should be reported if:
- there is a question of negligence or misadventure about the treatment of the person who died
- they died before a provisional diagnosis was made and the general practitioner is not willing to certify the cause
- the patient died as the result of the administration of an anaesthetic.
A death should be reported to a Coroner by the police, when:
- a dead body is found
- death is unexpected or unexplained
- a death occurs in suspicious circumstances
After a death is reported
A Coroner will first gather information to investigate whether a death was due to natural causes and if a doctor can certify the medical cause of death.
The Coroner will ask the police to gather the information about the death. This will usually include speaking to the family of the deceased, anyone who was caring for the deceased and anyone who was there when the death happened.
If the reason why a doctor cannot certify the death is simply because they have not treated the patient in the last 28 days, then the Coroner will discuss the cause of death with the doctor. If a Coroner is satisfied that death was from natural causes and no further investigation is necessary, then they may accept the medical cause of death that a doctor gives and issue a Coroner’s notification to allow the death to be registered.
If a doctor cannot certify the medical cause of death, then a Coroner will investigate the death and may order a post-mortem examination to be carried out.
Coroners Liaison Officers
Coroners Liaison Officers are people who work for a Coroner to help bereaved families when a post-mortem examination has been ordered.
The Coroners Liaison Officer will contact the family and forward written information to the family about the preliminary cause of death and enclose documents to assist with financial matters.
Post-mortem examinations
A post-mortem examination or autopsy is an examination of the body following death. It is carried out by a pathologist. These are doctors who are experts in finding out the cause of death. The examination is carried out as soon as possible after death and every effort is made to minimise any delay.
The pathologist will start with an external examination of the body followed by an internal examination. The major internal organs will need to be removed and examined. In most cases the organs are returned to the body afterwards.
Although some information can be obtained from looking directly at organs in a post-mortem examination, often the only way to understand properly what has happened is:
- to look at part of an organ under the microscope
- carry out special tests
- get a second medical opinion
Post-mortem results
The pathologist will provide the preliminary results of the post-mortem examination to the Coroner very quickly. However, a final written report may not be available for some time as further tests may need to be carried out and these can take time to complete.
The Coroner’s Liaison Officer will contact the family as soon as the preliminary results are available and will advise the family on the finding. They will also be able to say if any organs or tissue have been retained following the post-mortem examination.
When the final post-mortem report is completed, it will be sent to the Coroner who will forward a copy to the deceased’s doctor. The family will be informed when this happens, and they may also request a copy of the final report from the Coroner. The report may contain complex medical terminology, and the family may wish to discuss the findings with their family doctor.
Family members may feel that they would like to discuss the post-mortem examination with the pathologist who carried it out. The Coroner’s Liaison Officer can arrange this.
Non-Invasive – MRI & CT Scans
The option for an (MRI) scan has now been made available as an alternative to the invasive postmortem procedure. A Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scanner allows pathologists to zoom in to the areas of the deceased that they want to study & investigate. In such instances, the family can approach the coroner’s office and request an MRI Scan rather than the traditional surgical type of post-mortem. Even though the coroner still has discretion over the matter, they should be flexible and try to accommodate the family’s request for an MRI scan.
For more information please visit:
https://www.coronersociety.org.uk/the-coroners-society
https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/coroners-post-mortems-and-inquests
https://www.cfsb.org.uk
https://www.mafd.org.uk (The Muslim Association of Funeral Directors)