£519k boost helps cut inquest delays

Senior coroner says ‘quality of investigation’ is crucial

- Phil Corrigan Local Democracy Reporter

COUNCILLORS have welcomed a fall in the number of families waiting to learn how their loved ones died.

‘The backlog of cases at Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire’s joint coroners service has dropped from 672 in February to 606.

The number of cases above the six-month statutory time limit for an inquest has fallen from 260 to 240 in the same period.

Last year, elected members at Stoke-on-Trent City Council and Staffordshire County Council, which jointly fund the service, agreed a £519,000 funding boost for new staff to increase capacity.

A new full-time area coroner started work in June, and officials believe the service is on track to cut the backlog ‘considerably’ by the end of the financial year.