The Ministry of Justice has this week released the 2024 coronial statistics, compiling data from Coroner Areas across the country.
However, as has happened in the past across certain Isle of Wight media, the Ministry advises against direct comparisons between areas, warning that unique local factors make simple performance judgments misleading.
A uniquely complex area
As reported previously by OnTheWight, the Isle of Wight is recognised as a particularly complex Coronial Area.
Its challenges include a high rate of road traffic collision deaths, an ageing general population, a large older prison population, and the presence of a secure mental health unit.
The Island’s many care homes, a fully coastal border, and significant visitor increases during major events such as music and sailing festivals also complicate matters.
Additional challenges include the Island being home to the UK’s only active ‘Burials at Sea’ site off the Needles, and local areas of deprivation that can affect health outcomes.
Senior Coroner explains inquest delays
Caroline Sumeray, His Majesty’s Senior Coroner for the Isle of Wight, addressed concerns about the pace of inquest completions.
She said:
“I recognise that the Isle of Wight Coronial Area is not the fastest to complete Inquests.
“There are multiple reasons for this, including the non-availability of an Island-based pathologist willing to do coronial work; a larger proportion of inquests having to wait for other external agencies’ investigations to be completed before they can proceed, and the need to ensure that we carry out extremely thorough investigations.
“Those investigations do take time to resolve. It goes without saying that the fastest investigations are not always the most robust. It is essential that I leave no stone unturned.”
National pathologist shortage contributes to delays
A UK-wide shortage of pathologists willing to conduct coronial post-mortems continues to affect the Island.
As there are no pathologists based on the Island who offer consistent coronial support, the Coroner relies on a visiting pathologist.
In cases where the cause of death is unclear, it can take five to six months to receive a determination, causing unavoidable delays to inquests.
In other areas with post-mortem MRI or CT scanners, a cause of death can often be identified within days. However, post-mortem scanning is not suitable for every case and requires specialist radiologist interpretation.
External investigations cause further delays
Around 10 per cent of Isle of Wight inquests involve prison deaths, all of which must wait for a report from the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman before proceeding.
These reports typically take over a year to complete, with some taking more than three years. In comparison, larger areas with fewer prison deaths are less impacted by such delays.
Each fatal road traffic collision on the Island also requires a Forensic Collision Investigator’s Report, which takes about 18 months on average.
Deaths involving the Isle of Wight NHS Trust—previously in Special Measures for four and a half years—often require Serious Incident Investigations that can take several months to conclude.
The Marine Accident Investigation Bureau may also become involved in relevant deaths. In those instances, delays exceeding two and a half years are not uncommon.
Council supports investment and reform
Wendy Perera, chief executive of the Isle of Wight council, highlighted the local authority’s commitment to supporting the Coroner’s Office.
She said:
“Supporting Island families and the Coroner’s Office is of great importance to the council. We work in partnership with His Majesty’s Senior Coroner to provide the staffing and facilities to support the service and delivery of the Coroner’s statutory role.
“For many years, it has been difficult to maintain a fully staffed service which has impacted on service delivery. In addition, access to court facilities has also been challenging.
“The council has recently invested in creating a purpose-built Coroner’s Court at Seaclose Park to alleviate some of these pressures; steps are also being taken to ensure staffing resilience and to address any delay linked to these two issues.”
Working together for improvement
The council and HM Senior Coroner say they are confident that, by continuing to work together, they can improve the timeliness and robustness of the Island’s Coronial Service.
Both parties remain committed to delivering the best possible support for Island families during difficult times.
