Sir, Iain Paton, Caroline Clayden and Jon Howarth (March 19) will be glad to know that the Ministry of Justice is proposing to amend Rule 43 of the Coroners Rules 1984; it is the rule that deals with prevention of future deaths.

The present Rule 43 allows for a coroner to report, to the appropriate agency, circumstances in which further deaths could occur if remedial action is not taken. Some coroners do make such reports but many do not, sometimes because coroners do not have the power to insist on a response to their reports. There has been much pressure from the specialist sudden death charities for coroners’ powers to be strengthened — of the 230,000 deaths reported to coroners every year, many would be avoided if the priority were prevention.

The proposed amendment of Rule 43 will require coroners to report circumstances in which further deaths could occur, if action is not taken to prevent them. The agency receiving such a report will be required to give the coroner a written response stating what action has been taken, or an explanation of no action taken. Copies of coroners’ reports would be sent to the Lord Chancellor and be published to raise awareness of lessons learnt.

Pip Finucane

Victims’ Voice

Bournemouth

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