Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what timely steps are being taken to address reforms to the death certification system following the Shipman Inquiry and recommendations made by Dame Janet Smith.

The Government is committed to improving the system of death certification in England and Wales. In taking forward work on any changes, the Department will be considering lessons learnt from the medical examiner pilot projects and working with NHS England, the NHS Litigation Authority, Monitor and the Care Quality Commission to see how best medical examiners fit with the system-wide approach to patient safety. These considerations will be completed in time to advise the incoming government.