Other sources of information about the coronial process

Other sources of general information about coroners’ investigations and related processes include the following.

• The Ministry of Justice Guide to Coroner Services for Bereaved People. This provides bereaved people with an explanation of the coroner investigation and inquest process as well as links to other organisations that may also provide help and advice. It is also intended for others who may be affected by a coroner’s investigation or are attending an inquest.
• The judiciary.uk website, which provides general information about coroners and inquests, including a list of coroner areas and senior coroner appointments. It also provides access to Prevention of Future Deaths reports. 
• The gov.uk step by step guide on what to do when someone dies.
• Gov.uk information on what to do if someone dies abroad; this includes country-specific information.  
• Gov.uk information on legal advice or representation at inquests, including how to access legal aid funding, where applicable.
• The website of the Coroners’ Society of England and Wales provides information on local coroner areas and other information on coroners and the coronial process.
• Each local coroner service has its own webpage or website: links to all local services are here. Please note that the amount of information available on coroner service webpages/sites is highly variable. 
• House of Commons Library Research Briefings provide information on:
  • Coroners’ investigations and inquests (published February 2021)
  • Challenging coroners’ decisions (published October 2023)
  • The Office of the Chief Coroner (published February 2021)
  • Statutory public inquiries (published May 2024)
  • Reforms to the coroner service in England and Wales (published September 2021)
• NHS England information on the national medical examiner system, which includes contact information for national and regional medical examiner offices.  
• Human Tissue Authority information on post-mortem examinations for those who are bereaved and are affected by a post-mortem examination. 
• The Coroners’ Courts Support Service (CCSS) offers practical and emotional information and support to families and witnesses attending coroners’ courts – including through trained volunteers in many coroners’ courts. CCSS also provides a national helpline (tel: 0300 111 2141; email: helpline@ccss.org.uk).
• INQUEST is a charity providing expertise on state-related deaths and their investigation to bereaved people, lawyers, advice and support agencies, NGOs, activists, the media and parliamentarians. It has a detailed handbook for bereaved families, friends and advisors. The charity’s online Skills and Support Toolkit provides practical advice for families and friends dealing with the aftermath of a death in custody or detention. Their website provides a range of other resources including Factsheets and a Family Hub. 
• The Preventable Deaths Tracker is an open, searchable database of all coroner Prevention of Future Deaths Reports. It also provides commentary and analysis on reports, and links to related research.
• Action Against Medical Accidents (AvMA), a charity working for patient safety and justice, provides advice on inquests for people affected by avoidable harm in healthcare.
• The Bereavement Advice Centre, a free information service run by Co-op Legal Services, provides guidance on registering a death and the coronial process.
• The Centre for Military Justice is a charity providing free services to current and former members of the armed forces and bereaved families, including advice on inquests and an inquest support and legal representation service. 
• George Julian, a journalist with a particular interest in premature and preventable deaths of learning disabled and autistic people, provides Easy Read resources about inquests on her website.  

Other support for bereaved people

A range of other charities provide support to people who are bereaved, including advice on the inquest process. Some of these charities are listed below.

• Addiction Family Support (formerly DrugFam) provides help to people affected by a loved one’s harmful use of alcohol, drugs or gambling.​
• Brake supports people bereaved and seriously injured through by road crashes. 
• Child Bereavement UK helps children, young people, parents and families following the death of a child.
• The Compassionate Friends supports bereaved parents and their families.
• Cruse Bereavement Support provides bereavement support and information,
• Disaster Action provides resources and information for the bereaved and survivors of major disasters that occur in the UK and overseas.
• Gambling with Lives is a support and campaigning charity focused on gambling-related suicides.
• The Good Grief Trust provides information and advice to people who have been bereaved.
• RoadPeace provides information and support services to people bereaved or seriously injured in road crashes.
• Sands seeks to reduce the number of babies dying and supports those affected by the death of a baby, before, during or shortly after birth.
• SUDC UK is a charity dedicated to awareness, research and family support relating to sudden unexplained death in childhood.
• Support after Murder and Manslaughter (SAMM) offers a range of peer support services to people bereaved by murder and manslaughter.
• Support After Suicide Partnership brings together bereavement organisations and people with lived experience to improve support for those bereaved by suicide.
• Survivors of Bereavement by Suicide (SOBS) provides peer-led support to adults impacted by suicide loss.
• The War Widows Association campaigns to improve the lives of war widows and widowers.
• Winston’s Wish provides a range of services for children and young people who have been bereaved.

In addition to the above, there are many national and local services that provide bereavement counselling and other support. Bereavement services offered by local authorities can be found here. 

Additional sources of information for witnesses

Some organisations provide information, guidance and advice specifically for people who are called to give evidence to inquests in a professional capacity. Relevant resources for witnesses include the following:

• Academy of Medical Royal Colleges guidance for healthcare professionals on acting as an expert or professional witness.
• General Medical Council guidance on providing witness statements or expert evidence as part of legal proceedings.
• Health and Safety Executive guidance on work-related deaths, including in relation to liaison with other agencies, inquests and coroners.
• NHS England advice and guidance to support trainee doctors who are required to engage with a coroner’s inquest.
• NHS England medico-legal learning resource on writing a report or statement and giving evidence at court, including at inquests.
• NHS Resolution guide for health providers called to give evidence at inquests.
• Royal College of Nursing advice guide for health care staff called to give evidence to inquests and other investigations.  
• Royal College of Psychiatrists guides and resources to support mental health professionals who have experienced the death of a patient by suicide. 
• The University of Plymouth has created a series of videos and other information providing tips and advice for medical witnesses at inquests.