Posted by Ali Cloak, Senior Associate
Dying Matters is a national coalition of organisations that aim to help people talk openly about dying, death and bereavement. This year, starting on 13 May, the national awareness week will join with organisations to help raise the public’s consciousness of this difficult and distressing topic.
Posted by Ali Cloak, Senior Associate
The police have announced that they will be undertaking a new criminal investigation into the deaths at Gosport War Memorial Hospital. More than 456 patients had their lives cut short by being administered high doses of opiate painkillers such as morphine between 1987 and 2001. Ali Cloak from our Inquests team takes a look at what might happen as a result.
Posted by Ali Cloak, Senior Associate
Earlier this month, it was announced that Northern Ireland will be increasing the statutory compensation available to bereaved families. Families bringing claims in relation to a death in Northern Ireland will now be entitled to over £2,000 more in damages than families in England and Wales.
Posted by Ali Cloak, Senior Associate
From April 2019, a new system of medical examiners will be rolled out in medical settings to provide scrutiny and better recording of deaths across the country. A pilot scheme with medical examiners has taken place since 2008 so many hospitals, medical professionals or families may have already come across them.
Posted by Ali Cloak, Senior Associate
In welcome news, the government has announced a consultation on plans to bring in new investigative powers for coroners to investigate the cause of stillbirths, and to consider where lessons can be learnt to improve maternal and fetal care during pregnancy. Ali Cloak considers this announcement as well as what it may mean for bereaved parents and the wider public, should it become a reality.
Posted by Ali Cloak, Senior Associate
The Ministry of Justice has recently released its report which considered automatic provision of legal aid for bereaved families in state-related deaths. Ali Cloak gives her view on the report, and explains why it fails to redress the inequality of arms suffered by many bereaved families involved in an inquest.
Posted by Ali Cloak, Senior Associate
On 3 December 2018 Group B Strep Support (GBSS) published its report entitled “The cost of group B strep infection”. The charity is dedicated to eradicating group B strep (GBS) infections in babies, and their report makes a number of recommendations for achieving this aim whilst also saving the NHS money.
Posted by Ali Cloak, Senior Associate
Medical devices have dominated the news this week, following the release of a report by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists. Ali Cloak takes a look into ‘The Implant Files’ investigation.
