QLD:Govt defends work of Qld coroners

AAP General News (Australia)
08-10-2010
QLD:Govt defends work of Qld coroners

BRISBANE, Aug 10 AAP - The Queensland government has defended the state's coroners
amid revelations hundreds of families have waited more than two years for answers.

The latest annual report from the Office of the State Coroner shows 226 families waited
more than the national benchmark of two years for determinations about their loved ones'
deaths.

Deputy Opposition Leader Lawrence Springborg on Tuesday said the report, for 2008/09,
showed the office was simply not performing.

" ... it shows 226 cases of deaths reported to the Coroner remained unresolved at least
two years after the deaths occurred," Mr Springborg said.

"That strongly suggests to me that the Office of the Coroner is running way behind."

The report said that in 2008/09, 3745 deaths were reported to coroners across the state,
up 6.57 per cent on the previous year.

As of June 30, 2009, 10.1 per cent, or 226 cases, had been pending for more than two years.

The report blamed matters outside the control of coroners, saying 161 of the 226 cases
were awaiting police or other expert investigations or the outcome of criminal proceedings.

It also noted a steady annual increase in the number of deaths reported to coroners
but said the system had achieved a clearance rate of 97.7 per cent in 2008/09, thanks
to the appointment of extra full-time coroners and support teams.

A spokesman for Attorney-General Cameron Dick said the Opposition's claims were spurious
and did not accurately reflect the work being done by coroners.

"The combined clearance rate for the past two years has been 100.7 per cent, meaning
that coroners are finalising more matters than are being reported," the spokesman said.

He said the office was well resourced and now had a total of 30 staff.

Mr Springborg also called on Mr Dick to explain what was happening with key recommendations
from the 2005 Davies Inquiry, sparked by the deaths of killer surgeon Jayant Patel's patients.

The inquiry called for a dedicated medical officer to be appointed to the Coroner's
Office, as well as the appointment of a specialist medical panel.

"The 08/09 report states this hasn't happened. It's hard to gauge what's currently
going on," Mr Springborg said.

Mr Dick's spokesman said progress was being made.

"The intention of these particular recommendations is being achieved through an agreement
between the State Coroner's Office and the Queensland Health Clinical Forensic Medicine
Unit (CFMU)," he said.

"This unit provides independent expert medical advice to coroners in relation to the
investigation of deaths."

Deputy Premier and Health Minister Paul Lucas said coronial inquests that stretch beyond
two years were preferable to "rush job" examinations.

He said factors such as medical and forensic tests and the availability of witnesses
could delay inquests.

"Everybody wants to see coronial inquests done done as soon as possible but the last
thing you'd want to do is to rush one which then comes back with a result that is not
satisfactory to people," Mr Lucas told reporters in Cairns.

"I think we have a very good coronial system in Queensland."

AAP djb/ews/tnf/scj

KEYWORD: CORONER WRAP

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