PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Nationwide disparities of deaths reported to coroners

2013-11-01
(Press-News.org) Contact information: megan beech
m.beech@hud.ac.uk
01-484-473-053
University of Huddersfield
Nationwide disparities of deaths reported to coroners

A LEADING detective turned university researcher has discovered huge nationwide disparities in the numbers of deaths reported to coroners. It could mean that in some areas, inquests into unnaturaldeaths are not being conducted when they might have been deemed necessary elsewhere. Also, it has emerged that deaths of women are less likely to be reported and go to inquest. And when they do, they are less likely to result in a verdict of unnatural death.

Findings from the exhaustive research project have led former Detective Chief Superintendant Max Mclean, the ex-Head of West Yorkshire CID, to brand the 800-year-old coroners' system in England and Wales a "postcode lottery". He calls for a national Coroners' Service with the power to iron out inconsistencies.

Now retired from the force, Mr Mclean is undertaking a PhD at the University of Huddersfield.

Mr Mclean's findings have been published in an article, co-authored with the University of Huddersfield's Dr Jason Roach and Dr Rachel Armitage, that appears in the Journal of Clinic Pathology. The massive exercise in data collection and statistical analysis was designed and conducted by Mr Mclean. "It was significant data crunching!" he said.

By working out how many deaths had taken place in coroners' areas of jurisdiction and how many had been reported to the coroner, Mr Mclean was able to work out the reporting rates for each district.

"We found that between the years 2001 and 2010, the reporting rates in the 114 jurisdictions ranged from 12 per cent to 87 per cent and were consistent over time. My work has demonstrated that this variation is a product of the coroner's working practice," said Mr Mclean.

He argues that because coroners remain in office for long periods and have a large amount of autonomy, their attitudes and working practices are likely to become entrenched and have a powerful influence in their jurisdiction.

He found that there was a mean reporting rate of just under half of all deaths.

"That feels right and the mean figure of 45 per cent has been reasonably consistent for a number of years," he added.

Mr Mclean intends to conduct further research into the gender disparity. In the meantime, he comments: "The extreme hypothesis is that women's deaths are not considered as important to society as those of men. And that the traditional short form verdicts available to the coroner's inquests serve the needs of men more than women – in cases of industrial disease, for example."



INFORMATION:



The article, Local variations in reporting deaths to the coroner in England and Wales: a postcode lottery?, by Maxwell Mclean, Jason Roach and Rachel Armitage has been published in the Online First edition of the Journal of Clinical Pathology.



ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Double-pronged attack could treat common children's cancer

2013-11-01
Double-pronged attack could treat common children's cancer A dual-pronged strategy using two experimental cancer drugs together could successfully treat a childhood cancer by inhibiting tumour growth and blocking off the escape routes it uses to become resistant ...

Sugar intake is not directly related to liver disease

2013-11-01
Sugar intake is not directly related to liver disease Despite current beliefs, sugar intake is not directly associated with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, according to a new study in Gastroenterology, the official journal of the American Gastroenterological ...

LSUHSC simulation or team training improves performance & patient safety

2013-11-01
LSUHSC simulation or team training improves performance & patient safety New Orleans, LA – A study conducted by an inter-professional team of LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans faculty found that simulation-based operating room team training ...

Neuroscientists determine how treatment for anxiety disorders silences fear neurons

2013-11-01
Neuroscientists determine how treatment for anxiety disorders silences fear neurons Study in mice may aid in the development of more effective treatments for anxiety disorders BOSTON (October 31, 2013, 12 noon ET) — Excessive fear can ...

Pitt treats gum disease by bringing needed immune cells to inflamed tissue

2013-11-01
Pitt treats gum disease by bringing needed immune cells to inflamed tissue PITTSBURGH, Nov. 1, 2013 – The red, swollen and painful gums and bone destruction of periodontal disease could be effectively treated by beckoning the ...

GenSeq: Updated nomenclature for genetic sequences to solve taxonomic determination issues

2013-11-01
GenSeq: Updated nomenclature for genetic sequences to solve taxonomic determination issues An improved and expanded nomenclature for genetic sequences is introduced that corresponds with a ranking of the reliability of the taxonomic identification of the source specimens. ...

Problem of gender differences on physics assessments remains unsolved

2013-11-01
Problem of gender differences on physics assessments remains unsolved The mystery of why women consistently score lower than men on common assessments of conceptual understanding of physics remains poorly understood In a new synthesis of past work, researchers found ...

Designing an acoustic diode

2013-11-01
Designing an acoustic diode Novel design for a device that would transmit sound in 1-way may lead to brighter, clearer ultrasound images and improve diagnosis and therapy WASHINGTON, D.C. Nov. 1, 2013 -- Most people know about ultrasound through its role ...

Study explains how a job-market system lands couples in the same city

2013-11-01
Study explains how a job-market system lands couples in the same city Since World War II, women have entered the American workforce in greater numbers than ever before. For married couples, this presents a wrinkle, since it can be hard for both partners ...

NASA satellite catches a wide-eyed Typhoon Krosa

2013-11-01
NASA satellite catches a wide-eyed Typhoon Krosa Typhoon Krosa became wide-eyed in imagery from NASA's Aqua satellite as the storm moved past the Philippines and into the South China Sea. Krosa re-strengthened after it passed over the northern Philippines and its ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

State-of-the-art fusion simulation leads three scientists to the 2024 Kaul Foundation Prize

Davos Alzheimer's Collaborative launches innovative brain health navigator program for intuitive coordination between patients and providers

Media registration now open: ATS 2025 in San Francisco

New study shows that corn-soybean crop rotation benefits are extremely sensitive to climate

From drops to data: Advancing global precipitation estimates with the LETKF algorithm

SeoulTech researchers propose a novel method to shed light on PFOS-induced neurotoxicity

Large-scale TMIST breast cancer screening trial achieves enrollment goal, paving the way for data that provides a precision approach to screeninge

Study published in NEJM Catalyst finds patients cared for by MedStar Health’s Safe Babies Safe Moms program have better outcomes in pregnancy, delivery, and postpartum

Octopus arms have segmented nervous systems to power extraordinary movements

Protein shapes can help untangle life’s ancient history

Memory systems in the brain drive food cravings that could influence body weight

Indigenous students face cumbersome barriers to attaining post-secondary education

Not all Hot Jupiters orbit solo

Study shows connection between childhood maltreatment and disease in later life

Discovery of two planets sheds new light on the formation of planetary systems

New West Health-Gallup survey finds incoming Trump administration faces high public skepticism over plans to lower healthcare costs

Reading signs: New method improves AI translation of sign language

Over 97 million US residents exposed to unregulated contaminants in their drinking water

New large-scale study suggests no link between common brain malignancy and hormone therapy

AI helps to identify subjective cognitive decline during the menopause transition

Machine learning assisted plasmonic absorbers

Healthy lifestyle changes shown to help low back pain

Waking up is not stressful, study finds

Texas A&M AgriLife Research aims for better control of widespread tomato spotted wilt virus

THE LANCET DIABETES & ENDOCRINOLOGY: Global Commission proposes major overhaul of obesity diagnosis, going beyond BMI to define when obesity is a disease.

Floating solar panels could support US energy goals

Long before the L.A. fires, America’s housing crisis displaced millions

Breaking barriers: Collaborative research studies binge eating disorders in older Hispanic women

UVA receives DURIP grant for cutting-edge ceramic research system

Gene editing extends lifespan in mouse model of prion disease

[Press-News.org] Nationwide disparities of deaths reported to coroners