Coronial investigations of stillbirths
Feedback received
Detail of feedback received
Two consultation documents - a longer and shorter version - were published. Four stakeholder workshops were held across England and Wales to discuss the consultation, involving 63 attendees spanning a wide range of stakeholder groups. There were 334 written responses to the consultation.
The findings of the consultation were complex: there were mixed views about proposals that coroners should have a role in stillbirth investigations and, where views were supportive, about the way in which coronial investigations would be carried out.
Some respondents were supportive of the proposal for coroners to have a role in investigating stillbirths. However, many of those same respondents did not agree with the proposed way in which coroners would conduct their investigations. For example, support was caveated with concerns about:
- consent
- the length of inquest process
- the potential issue of inflicting blame on families
Other key issues raised by respondents included:
- the potential duplication of investigations run by coroners and other maternity investigations
- resourcing of coronial and paediatric pathology services (and other clinical staff)
- the potential for findings to be inconclusive
- the role of coroners in identifying and disseminating clinical learning points
Consultation description
The government is consulting on a number of proposals that aim to:
- bring greater independence to the way stillbirths are investigated
- ensure transparency and enhance the involvement of bereaved parents in stillbirth investigation processes, including in the development of recommendations aimed at improving maternity care
- effectively disseminate learning from investigations across the health system to help prevent future avoidable stillbirths
Last updated 7 December 2023 + show all updates
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Added a factual summary of consultation responses to the public feedback (feedback received) section.
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First published.