Medical Examiners Office

In 2024, there was a change in the law. It means that all deaths in any healthcare setting must now have a review. This is when people die in hospital, in a nursing or care homes and hospices. For some deaths, the Coroner will need to investigate. For all other deaths, there must be a review by a Medical Examiner.  This is most deaths. Once the review is complete, a death certificate can be issued. 

They are NHS doctors who spend some of their time doing this work. The rest of their time they are looking after patients as a GP or a consultant. They have special training so they can act as a Medical Examiner. They give an independent view of a person’s death and why it happened. They can only review deaths when they have not been involved in a person’s care. Although STSFT hosts this service, it is not part of the Trust.  

The aim is to give an objective view about every death. Medical Examiners look to see if the health and care services could have done anything better. The aim is to help health and care services improve for other people in the future. 

It gives families and carers the chance to raise questions or concerns about why their loved one died. It is a chance to have an open and honest conversation. You can ask about any words or terms you do not understand.  You may also want to ask about the care your loved one received before their death.   There may be something which you did not feel was right or ideal.  

This will usually be through a telephone call. They will contact you to talk to you. They will explain why your loved one died and what it says on their death certificate. This is to check if you have any questions or concerns. They will also let you know about the review they have done into your loved one’s death. This is the best time for you to ask any questions or raise anything that concerns you. 

When the Medical Examiner Office contacts you, just make them aware of this.  Let them know who else you would like them to speak to instead. 

If a death needs further review, the Coroner must do this. The Medical Examiner will let you know if this is the case. The Coroner will investigate the death further. There are certain deaths which the Coroner must always look at. You can read about these on page 6 of this document. 

The Medical Examiner will try to work as quickly as they can. They must also do a thorough job when looking at each death. They will make every effort so that there are not delays in the process. They will also try to be as flexible as they can to support families. 

Please call (0191) 202 4006.  

Speak to staff from the Medical Examiner Office first as they may be able to help you. If you are satisfied, you can also contact the Trust’s Advice and Complaints Team. 

They have an office on B Floor at Sunderland Royal Hospital. This is open Monday to Friday from 8.30am to 5pm. You can email or telephone them: 

• stsft.adviceandcomplaints@nhs.net. 

• Telephone: 0191 569 9855 or Freephone 0800 587 6513.