Annex A > Chapter 18 - Medical and Clinical Audit > Audit: the national perspective > Records kept by the Home Office

Records kept by the Home Office

129 Under Section 28 of the Coroners Act 1988 the coroner is required to make an annual return to the Home Secretary giving prescribed details in relation to inquests. [153] The return requires coroners to state the number of verdicts recorded in relation to male and female deaths. It does not require, for example, the age of the deceased or place of death.

130 The Home Office publishes statistical bulletins based on the information contained in the returns, none of which relates to particular identifiable cases. [154]

131 The Inquiry heard from Mr Clifford that the Home Office requirement for statistics relating to the coroners' service was limited and was mainly related to information about case load and did not extend to the circumstances of individual deaths. The Home Office, according to Mr Clifford, does not seek nor receive detailed information regarding post mortems and inquests with a view to analysing, monitoring or acting on the data. It is not a function of the Home Office, Mr Clifford stated, to obtain and use such information beyond ensuring as far as possible that coroners are aware of and observe any requests they may receive to help collect data for other agencies. The Home Office has no involvement in national data in relation to paediatric cardiac surgery. [155]

132 Mr Clifford stated further that, whilst coroners may make reports in the interests of preventing the recurrence of fatalities, such reports are sent to the person or authority which may have power to take action and are not routinely sent or copied to the Home Office. [156]

133 Mr Clifford stated that, since 1993, the Home Office has sought information in coroners' annual returns regarding the length of time taken to complete certain key tasks. [157]

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Footnotes

[153] A copy of the return `Deaths Reported to Coroners' was provided to the Inquiry by Mr Clifford at WIT 0043 0091 - 0094

[154] See, for example, Home Office Statistical Bulletin Issue 11/98, 23 April 1998 at WIT 0043 0095 - 0109 Mr Clifford

[155] WIT 0043 0003 Mr Clifford

[156] WIT 0043 0004 Mr Clifford

[157] WIT 0043 0004 Mr Clifford