Agenda item

Consideration was given to the Report on Ceredigion Senior Coroner’s 2023 Statistical Return and Report of the Chief Coroner.

 

It was reported that the Ceredigion Statistical Return for 2023 was yet to be published but the report was expected by the end of June 2024 and would be presented to the next Committee in meeting on 8th of October 2024. In relation to the report of the Chief Coroner, the Annual Report of the Chief Coroner for 2023 had now been published and could be found on their website. The Report outlines the findings of the Chief Coroner for 2023. These were as follows:-

•         The service had insufficient personnel

•         There was an unacceptably wide variation in the provision by local authorities of material resource

•         There remains a general need for more salaried Area Coroners

•         The ‘triangle of responsibility’ creates operational difficulties

•         Judicial independence was impacted by the current resourcing structure

•         Court security arrangements vary considerably and were rarely adequate

•         Recent work increases were likely to be permanent

•         Delay

•         Judge-led inquests

•         The appointment of coroners

•         Coroner support

 

Prospective actions were as follows:-

•         engaged with the Senior Coroner and relevant local authority to try to encourage improvement

•         challenged many local authority representatives about inadequate office and court accommodation

•         encouraging local authorities and police forces to consider simplifying the funding model in their coroner areas by arranging for the relevant local authority to assume responsibility for providing and line-managing the coroner’s officers

•         provide general education on constitutional matters of particular relevance to coroners.

•         plans to implement the statutory medical examiner scheme and reform the death certification system with effect from April 2024

•         To educate local authorities on security considerations

 

In conclusion, it was reported that:-

•         many coroner areas had not yet been modernised to reflect the deeper implications of those national reforms.

•         need for structural change to simplify and streamline the governance and management of individual coroner areas

•         moving away from the outdated ‘triangle of responsibility’ to adopt a simpler and more efficient system of governance.

•         shortage of pathologists

•         The report also looked at the number of cases over 12 months old for 2023 compared to 2022.

•         Ceredigion had 10 cases over 12 months old for 2023 compared to 2 in 2022

 

It was also reported that a new Chief Coroner has been appointed on the 25th of May 2024, namely Her Honour Judge Alexia Durran for a term of three years.

 

The National statistics for the Coroner for 2023 had been published

The report shows that in 2023 across the UK there were 36,855 inquests opened which is a 2% increase on 2022. This was the highest number of inquests opened since the start of the annual time series in 1995, excluding

the years when DoLS investigations were required. Reported deaths which led to inquests represented 19% of all the deaths reported to coroners in 2023, an increase from 17% in 2022. The number of inquests opened as a proportion of deaths reported in 2023 varied across coroner areas, from 4% in Ceredigion to 39% in Liverpool and the Wirral. However, most coroner areas

held inquests for between 10% and 20% of all deaths reported.

 

The Coroner’s Officer was contacted to provide Inquest data for 2024 to date. However, no information had been received to date. An update would be provided at the next meeting in October 2024.

 

Members reiterated their concern and disappointment that the information requested at the 12 March 2024 meeting following consideration of the Coroner Report 2022 had not been received, even though the Senior Coroner had replied to the letter on the 22nd of March confirming he would produce a report within the 3 month deadline.

 

It was AGREED to note the content of the report for information.