My husband died earlier on this year very suddenly at the age of 60. He had suffered no real illness to speak of and had always been very healthy as he didn’t smoke or drink, he took regular exercise and had a good diet. We had just returned from a holiday abroad when he complained of chest pain and shortness of breath and was rushed into hospital and died.
A post mortem was carried out to try and find out the cause of his death. I haven’t seen a copy of the post mortem but was told he had heart disease. I find this difficult to believe as he suffered no symptoms whatsoever.
I have read a report which said a quarter of autopsies performed are poorly carried out and I think this was the case with my husband. What can I do?
The report you refer to was based on a study carried out for the Royal College of Pathologists which found that one in four autopsies were judged as ‘poor or unacceptable.’ It found that in almost 1700 autopsies carried out, the cause of death was questionable in 310 cases.
The report called for standard procedures to be introduced and clearer lines of accountability. Presently it was felt that families were being ‘sold short’ in situations where they should be told the truth.
A draft Coroners Reform Bill is to be placed before parliament shortly. This is designed to ensure deaths are investigated properly (following the Shipman case) but critics have suggested the reforms do not go far enough.
However if you feel the cause of death was not correct and wish this to be investigated, you must ask for a copy of your husband’s medical records and a copy of the post mortem report. You should seek advice initially from the hospital where he died or your GP as to the cause of his death. If you still believe his death was inadequately investigated, you need to instruct a solicitor without delay to investigate this.
