Inquest

If the death is from unnatural causes, or there is need for further enquiry following a post mortem, the Coroner will open an inquest into the medical cause and circumstances surrounding the death. The Coroner’s Officer will explain the details to you at the time, the inquest will be adjourned and re-opened at a later date. In this situation, the Coroner will normally issue an interim Death Certificate which will enable you to register the death and make funeral arrangements. Following the inquest the Coroner will send the Coroner’s Certificate to the Registrar to allow the death to be formally registered and the full death certificate to be issued accordingly.

The Medical Examiner or Bereavement & Medical Examiner Officer will tell you if your loved one’s case needs to be referred to the Coroner and why. If we do not refer a death to the Coroner, but you have concerns relating to the treatment provided here, you can ask the Coroner to consider holding an inquest. It is a good idea to do this as soon as possible after your loved one has died; as delays in requesting an inquest may mean that any opportunity for the Coroner to hold a post mortem is lost.

The local Coroner’s Office can be contacted via:

Her Majesty’s Coroner, Old Municipal Buildings, Corporation Street Taunton Somerset TA1 4AQ

Telephone: 01823 359271

Email: coroner@somerset.gov.uk

If you are seeking, or involved in an inquest, you may wish to find further independent information, advice or support. Details of organisations that can advise on the process, including how you can obtain legal representation, are listed on pages 15-17 in this booklet.