All Party Parliamentary Group
We presented at the All Party Parliamentary Group on Suicide and Self-harm Prevention on 21 February. Hosted by Madeleine Moon MP the meeting focused on the impact of bereavement by suicide. We proposed three key changes we would like to see to inquests and coroners.
1. Coroners should conduct the inquest process in an open and collaborative manner
2. Coroners should treat the bereaved with respect and sympathy
3. Coroners should receive training in communication skills
4. Coroners should proactively look for pertinent issues arising and look for recommendations that may help to prevent future deaths
In order for the system to change we requested a systematic programme of training should be developed and rolled out in order to raise competencies and consistency. We await with interest the Government’s implementation of the Office of the Chief Coroner and hope that many of our concerns about the current practices will be addressed. (http://www.parliament.uk/briefing-papers/SN05721)