Coroner
What deaths are reported to the Cork City Coroner?
- Where a death may have resulted from an accident, suicide or homicide.
- Where any question of misadventure arises in relation to the clinical or pharmaceutical treatment of the deceased.
- Where a patient dies before a diagnosis is made.
- Where any patient dies within 24 hours of admission to hospital.
- When death occurred while a patient was undergoing an operation or was under the effect of an anaesthetic or following an operation.
- Where the death occurred during or as a result of any procedure.
- Where the death resulted from any industrial disease.
- Where a death was due to neglect or lack of care (including self neglect).
If in doubt as to whether or not a death is properly reportable, please consult with the coroner who will advise accordingly. Basic clinical history is helpful when informing the coroner.
The fact that a death is reported to the coroner does not mean that an autopsy will always be required.
Death reported by others
- A death is reported to the Coroner by a member of the Garda Siochana:
- Where a death may have resulted from an accident, suicide or homicide
- Where a death occurred in suspicious circumstances
- Where there is an unexpected or unexplained death
- Where a dead body is found
- Where there is no doctor who can certify the cause of death
- A death is reported to the Coroner by the Governor of a Prison: Following the death of a prisoner.
Other categories of death reportable include
- Sudden infant deaths
- Certain still-births
- Death of a child in care
- Where body is to be removed abroad.
Current Oncological practice and the coroner (Dr Cullinane)
Actively managed patients
Inform the coroner when
- Unanticipated idiosynchratic response to chemotherapeutic agents i.e. overwhelming marrow suppression, leading to death.
- Allergic response to chemotherapeutic agent leading to death.
- Prescription error in chemotherapeutic agent leading to death.
- Where any question of misadventure in relation to the treatment of the deceased arises.
- Where although patient has significant underlying cancer diagnosis, death is brought about at a time much earlier than would otherwise have been expected due to hospital acquired infecton Print version
Palliative patients
Inform coroner when
- Cancer diagnosis relates to an occupational disease.
- Where death occurs without a diagnosis.
Palliative protocol in Coroners Cases
Cork County Borough - Coroner Dr Myra Cullinane
The patient whose care is confined to palliation is upon death very seldom reportable to the Coroner. When considering whether to report, do so in the following circumstances. Print version
- Questions of a criminal offence in the history of presentation irrespective of the passage of time.
- Trauma in the history of the presentation irrespective of the passage of time.
- Where any question of misadventure in relation to the treatment of the deceased arises.
- Where a causative factor in death relates to a per operative or anaesthetic event or relates to a medical procedure.
- Where death relates to an occupational disease.
- Where death occurs without a diagnosis.
- Death within 24 hours of admission.
- Where death is directly due to a hospital acquired infection in the absence of other significant co-morbidities and such infection was diagnosed before a palliative status was assigned.
- Where although a patient is known to have a significant comorbidity hospital acquired infection has brought about death at a time much earlier than would otherwise have been expected. Print version
Completing the medical certificate in non reportable hospital acquired infection
- If Hospital Acquired Infection is appearing on a medical certificate as to the cause of death it is by definition only where rules 7 and 8 (left) do not apply. Print version
- In such cases if the organism is known it should appear by name on the certificate.
- If death is due to septicaemia please record the originating focus if known.
- The positioning of the fact of hospital acquired infection on the medical certificate is dependent on whether it was the actual cause of death in which case it appears at 1A with the most significant pre existing comorbidity appearing at 1B and or 1C.
- If the infection was considered significant but not the primary cause of death it may appear at II.
- Terms such as palliative or end stage may appear on a medical certificate as to the cause of death if the use of such term clarifies the clinical situation further for the Registrar of Deaths.
- Colonization such as with MRSA is not recordable.
- The Coroner will assist with any queries in relation to the above on 086-2941446. Print version
Links and Contacts
- The Coroners
Office (021) 4350020 The Registrar's Office, Liberty Street, Cork has more infotrmation:
- What happens when a death is reported?
- Why are the Garad Siochana involved?
- Inquests
- When may funeral arrangements be made?
- When is a body released?
- How is a death registered?
