Inquests are judicial investigations and in particular help determine cause of death when the death was sudden or unexplained. They can also be held into large scale disasters such as the Grenfell Tower Fire. Inquests are also held to investigate potential malpractice of doctors and failures of the health care system.

These include:

  • Maternal deaths – according to the World Health Organisation, every day across the world around 830 women die from causes related to childbirth and pregnancy.1 The vast majority of these deaths occur in developing countries and are entirely preventable. Maternal deaths are due mainly to either bleeding, infection or pre-eclampsia, all conditions which can be effectively managed if recognised and treated in a timely fashion.2
  • New-born deaths – hand in hand with care for pregnant and birthing mothers is care for the baby
  • Mental health inquest – there may be failings by mental health services that play a role in precipitating unnecessary deaths
  • Inquests into misdiagnosis
  • Failure to assess – systematic failures by GPs and other medical experts to identify key symptoms.

Funding for families at inquests

Currently in the UK legal aid funding for families at inquests in not available. This state of affairs is being challenged by the Commons Justice Committee, on the basis that it is unfair, given that public bodies, such as the NHS, were able to draw on public funds to pay for lawyers. This frequently leads to the situation where families are unrepresented at inquests and for this reason do not get the answers they deserve.

Don’t put yourself in that position. If someone you loved suffered as the result of medical negligence and the case is being investigated by an inquest – speak to our specialist lawyers. One of our medical team at Osbornes Law will make sure that you and your family are properly represented so that you get answers and if relevant, appropriate compensation.

Osbornes Law representation at inquests

Osbornes Law has acted for many families who have required support, guidance and assistance at an inquest including deaths of relatives due to:

  • failure to diagnose appendicitis in a 14 year old boy
  • failure to provide care to psychiatric inpatient’s on several occasions at different psychiatric units
  • death following cardiac angiogram
  • maternal death following c-section
  • death following failure to transport patient to hospital
  • death following Croydon tram crash
  • death following RTA or accident at work

At Osbornes Law we have legal advisors and support teams able to speak various languages including Polish, Romanian, Hungarian and Spanish. They are experienced at assisting with the process and liaising with the coroner’s officers.

Our Promise to You

  • We will review your potential claim by advising you on the NHS complaints procedure or other alternative procedure if your case does not relate to NHS care and treatment.
  • We will not charge a fee for our time in reviewing your case.
  • We can assist you with any issues that you may have regarding the complaints procedure or that you encounter in obtaining copies of your medical records.
  • We will advise you of the course of action in respect of your case.

Recommended reading

Related InsightsVIEW ALL

  1. Supreme Court Ruling pic
    11.1.2024

    UK Supreme Court Ruling regarding Secondary Victims in...

    Introduction to the Supreme Court’s Decision on Secondary Victims in Clinical Negligence Cases The Supreme Court has today, on...

    Read more
  2. ambulanta din UK
    12.12.2023

    NHS Compensation Payouts Guide

    What Are NHS Compensation Payouts? In the UK, the National Health Service delivers the vast majority of healthcare services. When...

    Read more
  3. 19.9.2023

    NHS England Waiting Lists: PM Blames Doctors’ Strike

    NHS England’s waiting list has been growing over the past decade, rising from 3 million in 2014 to 7.7 million in July...

    Read more
  4. waiting
    31.8.2023

    NHS waiting lists hit an all-time high

    Medical Negligence Solicitor Jodi Newton explains: England’s NHS waiting lists have hit the highest number since 2007, reaching a record...

    Read more
  5. baby
    31.8.2023

    Hyponatraemia – Symptoms, Causes & Negligence

    What is hyponatraemia? Hyponatraemia is a condition where sodium levels fall below a certain level, which can be dangerous. All...

    Read more
  6. Ambulance vehicles at the Royal London Hospital
    10.8.2023

    Ambulance Delays Affecting Rapid Patient Treatment

    In 2017, the Secretary of State for Health accepted the new ambulance performance standards recommended by NHS England, meaning that the 11...

    Read more
  7. private hospital
    26.7.2023

    Private Healthcare Negligence

    Can you claim negligence against a private hospital? Yes – it can be a little more complicated than bringing a claim...

    Read more
  8. new born baby
    9.6.2023

    Early Notification Scheme – is it helping or failing...

    What is the Early Notification Scheme? The NHS Early Notification Scheme (“ENS”) has reached its sixth anniversary. Established in April 2017,...

    Read more
  9. 5.6.2023

    Are pharmacy closures putting patients at risk?

    It has been reported in the press that chemist closures will have an impact on patients living in deprived or...

    Read more
  10. pregnant lady
    23.3.2023

    Private Pregnancy Scans and Substandard Care

    In the news, it has been reported that private clinics that offer pregnancy scans to women are not meeting the...

    Read more
  11. Cannula in right arm of indian man
    14.2.2023

    The risk of extravasation injuries during iron infusion...

    Many patients with low iron, particularly during pregnancy or postnatally, may be advised they need an iron infusion such as...

    Read more
  12. Ambulance outside a hospital Accident and Emergency department.
    9.11.2022

    Delayed transfer to Accident & Emergency causing harm

    The Healthcare Safety Investigation Branch (HSIB) has identified that patients may come at risk of harm whilst waiting in ambulances...

    Read more
  13. The doctor looks at the x-ray
    9.11.2022

    Breast cancer screening mammograms and negligence

    Breast cancer screening has improved significantly in the UK due to research bettering the understanding of this terrible disease, which...

    Read more
  14. Doctor Or GP In Office Meeting Teenage Female Patient
    28.9.2022

    Women more likely to have symptoms ignored by...

    An increasing number of women in the UK feel brushed off by GPs when presenting with real symptoms, with many...

    Read more
  15. Hospital sign MATERNITY
    21.9.2022

    Are maternity services safe? – Part 2

    In April last year I wrote a piece about government setting up a taskforce to look into why there are...

    Read more
  16. Pregnant woman performing cardiotocography CTG
    8.9.2022

    Poor interpretation of CTG can result in stillbirth...

    Poor interpretation of a Cardiotocograph, more commonly known as a CTG, is a leading cause of stillbirth and brain injuries...

    Read more
  17. asian old man devastated by bad news
    9.8.2022

    New interactive rating tool reveals NHS wait times...

    Amidst record-breaking heatwaves and a lengthy patient waiting list due to COVID backlogs, it is not surprising that this summer...

    Read more
  18. Insulin injection needle or pen for use by diabetics
    14.7.2022

    Insulin overdose in hospitals due to limited staff...

    A century ago, insulin was first used to treat a 14-year-old boy dying of type 1 diabetes A hundred years later,...

    Read more
  19. NHS Building
    6.7.2022

    NHS aims to reduce waiting times with Elective...

    The NHS recently recorded their waiting list to be at 6.5 million, a record high. Much of this backlog is due...

    Read more
  20. doctor women at office
    29.6.2022

    Nottingham Maternity: Donna Ockenden to Chair Independent Inquiry

    An interim report on the state of maternity services at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust has just been released. However,...

    Read more
  21. 28.4.2022

    Calls for Public Inquiry into Vaginal Mesh Surgery

    A leading professor from the University of Oxford has called for a public inquiry into the use of vaginal mesh...

    Read more
  22. person receiving bad news
    11.4.2022

    Late Cancer Diagnosis Crisis Within NHS

    The Health and Social Care Committee recently released a 52-page report on cancer services, expanding on the crisis in England (...

    Read more
  23. Cancer treatment in a modern medical private clinic
    23.2.2022

    Record high waiting lists put cancer patient lives...

    In early January 2022 there were nearly six million people in England waiting for routine operations and treatment: a record high....

    Read more
  24. Neglijenta medicala spital din UK
    23.2.2022

    Women from ethnic minorities experience worse maternity care

    It has been reported today that the government has set up a new task force to look into why there...

    Read more

VIEW ALL