Search Mobile

collapse

already registered?

Please sign in with your existing account details.

Email address

Password

need to register?

Register to access exclusive content, sign up to receive our updates and personalise your experience on brownejacobson.com.

Privacy statement - Terms and conditions

Forgotten your password?

collapseSign

Browne Jacobson home

Health home

Services

Inquests and investigations

inquests and investigations

Mock inquest are you ready to give evidence?

Book your place

health-orange-container-pink-and-yellow-pills

Find out about our claims, advisory, inquests and regulatory services

View our brochure

Find out about the services offered by our dedicated health and social care team

Read our brochure

Coroners’ inquests into unnatural deaths involving health and social care organisations are on the increase. They are particularly stressful for individuals called to give evidence, with the cases being held in public and often in front of family members of the deceased.

We know that every case is different and our approach is tailored to your requirements - inquests always require a combination of shrewd legal analysis and sensitive handling.

Our specialist inquest team advises on over 300 inquests per year, dealing with many complex and sensitive matters and has developed a nationally recognised expertise in the field of coronial law. Many of the witnesses we deal with are unfamiliar with the coroner’s court and have never given evidence before. We support them throughout the process, providing careful guidance on what to expect.

We have been working on behalf of public and private sector health organisations for many years, appearing before more than 50 different coroners across the country, lecturing nationally and hosting quarterly inquest and litigation forums.

what we do...

A total solution - we advise on related claims and policy issues, police investigations, Health & Safety Executive prosecutions and disciplinary action.
Review of statements to be sent to the coroner.
Advice on legal issues, disclosure of documents and likely determinations.
Advice on dealing with media and reputational issues.

Pre-inquest meetings with your people involved in the case.
Advocacy at the inquest and any pre-inquest hearings.
Assistance with responding to Prevention of Future Deaths (PFD) reports.

related resources

Legal updates

Maternity matters - the ongoing journey to achieve safer care

2019 is set to be another significant year for NHS Trusts seeking to make improvements in maternity care and help realise the national maternity ambition to reduce by half the number of stillbirths, maternal and neonatal deaths and brain injuries that occur during or soon after birth by 2025.

View

Legal updates

Health newsletter - January 2019

Welcome to the latest edition of our health newsletter, in which we bring you a round-up of the latest regulations and news affecting your sector.

View

Legal updates

‘Safe spaces’ and improving quality - one step closer to a new investigative body in the public health sector

Patient safety has been on the agenda since 2016 and we are one step closer to the creation of a new investigative body focusing on safety within the NHS.

View

Consent for clinicians

In this video, Kelly Buckley and Lucy Erskine provide an insight into the current legal position and offer practical tips to ensure that clinicians are having the genuine dialogue needed with patients about relevant treatment options and risks to enable valid consent to be obtained.

View

View all

what our clients say....

what the directories say...

A source states: "They are both informative and thorough in providing advice on quite complex matters concerning defendant claims."

Chambers 2019

A client says: 'They deliver real added value. They don't just think about the legal problem before them but also the overall strategic issues.'

Chamber 2018

A client says: 'I wanted practical, clear advice, and that was what I got.'

Chamber 2018

Browne Jacobson LLP’s ‘knowledgeable, pragmatic and approachable’ group combines local government and social care expertise with its healthcare specialism to assist local authorities, NHS bodies, private sector providers and membership bodies for healthcare professionals with matters ranging from commercial initiatives and projects to inquests and regulatory work.

Legal 500 2017

Browne Jacobson LLP is a ‘highly competent healthcare firm that is excellent value for money’.

Legal 500 2017

They are a leading, one-stop-shop healthcare firm. They offer a whole range of services. Their out-of-hours support is very strong.

Chambers 2017

Thomas Armstrong, Ian Long and Sarah White are also recommended.

Chambers 2019

recent experience

Represented a hospital into the death of a woman from the “flesh-eating bug”, necrotising fasciitis. The patient had been admitted with intense pain in her elbow, which doctors attributed to an underlying rheumatic condition. The family alleged that an immediate diagnosis should have been made - we persuaded the coroner at the inquest that the treatment had been timely and earlier intervention could not have been possible.
We advised on an inquest involving an elderly lady in care who suffered injuries, haemorrhage and subsequent death after being dropped from a hoist by carers – we represented the care providers. The key issues related to safeguarding and a PFD implication. Whilst the policies and procedures of the care provider were scrutinised in detail, we successfully avoided a PFD notice and minimised media attention.
We advised on a high profile baby inquest in which considerable attention was placed on the medical management of the labour; multiple hospital witnesses were called to give evidence and high volumes of documentation were disclosed. The verdict was one of natural causes and critical comments via summing up by the coroner were minimised.