Failing the dead: How medical ignorance is killing Britain’s coroner service

Grieving families are being left without answers due to an overstretched, untrained coroner's service that is "not fit for purpose".

Jun 21, 2025

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Cases are being rushed through the system, and many causes of deaths are being inaccurately recorded. Illustration for *The Lead* by Jenna Cox

In Cornwall, 54-year-old Charles Devos died from a bowel infarction in January 2021 after waiting several hours for an ambulance. The coroner court refused to open an inquest for over a year, despite repeated submis…

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A guest post by

Angela Walker

Angela has more than twenty years experience as a broadcast journalist including twelve years as a Senior Reporter with BBC News. She hosts a current affairs podcast called “Angela Walker in Conversation”.