Successful statement writing

Providing a statement to the coroner can be a daunting task especially if the death occurred some time ago. However, having a good statement will not only act as a good reminder of your involvement in the deceased’s care, but it can also make life a lot easier at the inquest itself.

Why do I need a statement?

When providing evidence to the coroner, you are assisting the coroner in determining who, when, where and how the deceased died.

By providing a good statement ahead of the inquest which assists with the coroner’s investigation, the coroner will have less of a need to ask you lots of questions at the inquest hearing itself. Statements are also a good way of flagging up and dealing with any potential areas of concern with regards to your involvement well ahead of the inquest.

Do’s and don’ts

Unless told otherwise, it is important to remember that you are a witness of fact, not opinion. It is not your job to second guess what the coroner’s conclusion might be, or to comment on information which is not concerned with what you said, did, saw or heard. It is also advisable not to comment on potential conclusions arising from what you have said; this is for the coroner or jury to decide.

Your statement should clearly state your involvement, including an explanation of your actions and why you took them. It is important to always consider the relevance of the information you have included in your statement. Although it may be important on occasion to include detailed history, particularly where you have had a long-standing involvement with the deceased, this may not always be relevant.

Your statement will usually be based on a combination of medical notes and personal recollection, depending on how recently the relevant events occurred. A good statement will reflect information in medical notes without simply copying the information, which may include complex medical terminology not familiar to the coroner. Be careful to be accurate when recalling facts from memory as your statement will be scrutinised. Clearly identify if information is based on the medical notes or memory.

Your statement should be a chronological summary of your involvement in the deceased’s care and should be broken down into short, numbered paragraphs and where possible include times as well as dates.

Abbreviations contained in medical notes should be explained, and the deceased should be referred to by their name throughout. Medical terminology should be explained in layman’s terms, where possible.

If your statement refers to test results, it is important to indicate whether these results sit within or outside a normal range. Without this it can be difficult for the coroner to understand their significance, which may well be of vital importance to the inquest.

What should I put in my statement?

Checklist:

• State that the report is for HM Coroner and the relevant district e.g. Manchester
• State your full name
• Include the full name of the deceased
• Include the deceased’s date of birth and date of death (if they are known)
• Include your professional address
• Include your professional qualifications and position
• Write your statement in the first person
• Always use full sentences
• Do not ‘lift’ information from medical records
• Sign and date

Have you got style?

Before finalising and signing your statement, think – is my statement styled and formatted properly? Does it make sense? Would I be happy with the deceased’s family reading it?

And finally…

• At the end of your statement you should clearly conclude your involvement in events
• A statement of truth is not strictly necessary, so do not include one unless you are advised otherwise
• Remember to sign and date your statement
• Ensure that you have checked your spelling, paragraph numbering and that your statement is not formatted in a way which makes it difficult to read.

Happy statement writing!