The Medical Examiner service is an independent service that reviews non coronial deaths both in the community and the hospital. A community setting is a care home, community hospital a hospice or at a private residence. A hospital means one of the three hospitals that makes up United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust – Lincoln County Hospital, Grantham and District Hospital and Pilgrim Hospital, Boston.
The purpose of the service is to ensure the accuracy of medical certification of causes of death and also to allow a conversation with the bereaved to answer any questions or concerns you may have.
Why does the NHS need a Medical Examiner’s Office?
The ME service started in hospitals in 2019 and is now being rolled out to include all non coronial deaths that occur in the community. One of the main purposes of the service is to establish whether anything could have been done differently with the care your loved one received. This is so that learning can be shared across the health care sector so that the NHS is continually using your feedback to improve care.
What is the purpose of the Medical Examiner service?
The Medical Examiner service has many benefits and feedback from people who have used this service has been very positive. Below are some of the main benefits that can be gained from speaking with the Medical Examiner service.
• The chance for bereaved people to talk about the cause of death and to address any concerns or questions, should there be any.
• Enhanced safeguards for public and healthcare providers as they give consistent scrutiny on deaths.
• Improved quality and accuracy of the medical certification of cause of death.
• The ability to ensure referrals to the coroner are appropriate.
• Support for local learning by identifying matters for clinical governance.
• The ability to use the knowledge and experiences gained to support national initiatives such as Learning from deaths.