inquests

Prevention Of Future Death Reports In Relation To Young People With Autism

The BBC has carried out an investigation into the care provided to young people with Autism. As part of this, the BBC reviewed over 4,000 Prevention of Future Death (“PFD”) reports delivered in England and Wales over the past 10 years. The investigation identified that the Coroner had issued PDF reports in 51 cases which …

Prevention Of Future Death Reports In Relation To Young People With Autism Read More »

Ofsted says inspection not to blame for headteacher’s death

On 8 January 2023, Ruth Perry, the headteacher of Caversham Primary School in Reading, took her own life after being told that the school had been downgraded from Outstanding to Inadequate following an Ofsted inspection. Ms Perry’s family has previously blamed the Ofsted inspection for her death, and they are calling for an inquiry into …

Ofsted says inspection not to blame for headteacher’s death Read More »

Past the peak: Why the fairytale ending will have to wait for the social care sector

It has been an unforgettable few months for all of us. The profile of our world has changed forever and we have quickly adapted to connecting and working in ways that we never have before. For the majority, we have been lucky. We have been able to carry on with some semblance of normality with …

Past the peak: Why the fairytale ending will have to wait for the social care sector Read More »

How preparing for an Inquest may actually prevent a ‘Prevention of Future Deaths’ Report

Given the nature of their work, a large number of health and social care providers will at some point become involved in an inquest. The Coroners’ Courts have adjourned a lot of inquests because of COVID-19 restrictions but we expect them to start getting pretty busy over the coming months, trying to deal with the …

How preparing for an Inquest may actually prevent a ‘Prevention of Future Deaths’ Report Read More »

The Court of Appeal judgment in R (Maguire) v HM Senior Coroner for Blackpool and Fylde [2020] EWCA Civ 738 has provided clarity in relation to Article 2 obligations to protect life for care home residents

On 10 June 2020, the Court of Appeal handed their judgment down in the case of R (Maguire) v HM Senior Coroner for Blackpool and Fylde [2020] EWCA Civ 738 which held that Article 2 of the European Convention of Human Rights (“ECHR”), was not engaged at the inquest into the death of a vulnerable …

The Court of Appeal judgment in R (Maguire) v HM Senior Coroner for Blackpool and Fylde [2020] EWCA Civ 738 has provided clarity in relation to Article 2 obligations to protect life for care home residents Read More »

Inquest Procedure: If a provider did nothing wrong, does that mean there is nothing to worry about?

In theory, this statement should be correct. The Inquest process is inquisitorial and its purpose is to establish the facts, not to lay blame. However, in practice, things can and do come out at Inquests which can cause serious damage to service providers. Why should I get involved? Given the nature of health and social …

Inquest Procedure: If a provider did nothing wrong, does that mean there is nothing to worry about? Read More »

Beyond Covid-19: the legal landscape in the health and social care sector

This article considers what will happen in the health and social care sector in terms of regulation and litigation beyond the Covid-19 crisis. CQC’s Emergency Support Framework As providers will know, CQC have paused routine inspections and introduced the Emergency Support Framework (“ESF”). CQC’s position is that the ESF is a flexible and supportive process, …

Beyond Covid-19: the legal landscape in the health and social care sector Read More »

COVID-19 – Further guidance from the Chief Coroner for England & Wales regarding inquests

Further to my last update regarding inquests, the Chief Coroner for England and Wales has issued further guidance in relation to the COVID-19 situation. This article summarises the main points from the guidance. Chief Coroner Guidance No.34 (dated 26 March 2020) This guidance note acknowledges that the COVID-19 emergency presents a number of challenges for …

COVID-19 – Further guidance from the Chief Coroner for England & Wales regarding inquests Read More »

Can we help?