Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 14 July 2022 to Question 14408 on Jack Hurn, for what reason his Department does not proactively make an assessment of coroners' verdicts without prior receipt of a Prevention of Future Deaths Report; and whether he has had discussions with the Chief Coroner on that approach.

A Prevention of Future Deaths (PFD) report is issued under Regulation 28 of the Coroners (Investigations) Regulations 2013. It is the established legal process through which a coroner reports any findings which have given rise to concern that future deaths might occur unless action is taken. The PFD report is sent to a person or organisation the coroner considers has the power to take action, which they are obliged to respond to.

The Department follows this legal process and awaits the coroner’s expert report before responding. The Ministry of Justice is responsible for the relevant regulations and a coroner may send a PFD report to any and all Government Departments they consider appropriate. There have been no recent discussions with the Chief Coroner in relation to this approach.