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Medical Examiners

Asked by Mark SewardsLabourDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled Answered 8 July 2026UIN 15555

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure the sharing of best practice between Medical Examiner offices.

Answered by Preet Kaur Gill

The National Health Service ensures the sharing of best practice between medical examiner offices through a centralised, tiered governance structure overseen by the National Medical Examiner (NME), which includes regular NHS England and NME bulletins, sharing good practice and updates on guidance, training, and reporting. Each region in England has regular forums where medical examiner offices come together and share best practice and learning. This relates to both the efficiency of medical examiner processes but also themes related to patient safety and areas where care can be approved.

Medical examiners and medical examiner officers actively collaborate with neighbouring medical examiner offices, sharing experiences and expertise to support peer learning.

In partnership with the Royal College of Pathologists, the NME also regularly publishes the Good Practice Series, a collection of guidance documents for medical examiners covering operational standards, community sensitivities, and procedures for reviewing non-coronial deaths.

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