A national system of medical examiners was first proposed by a parliamentary committee in 1894. More recently, the reports of the Shipman Inquiry (2005), Mid Staffordshire Inquiry (2013), Morecambe Bay Investigation (2015) and Hutton Review of Forensic Pathology (2015) have all recommended that medical examiners be introduced to improve the investigation of deaths with the benefits this brings for both bereaved relatives and future patients.

As the lead medical royal college for medical examiners, The Royal College of Pathologists has been at the forefront of the campaign to introduce this system and continues to work with other stakeholders to facilitate the smooth delivery of this long-awaited reform.

The benefits of medical examiners will be far-reaching and touch the work of numerous agencies. With this in mind we arranged a roundtable with leading representatives of patient groups, charities, local and central government, the coronial and health services to discuss the issues, particularly in relation to the practicalities of implementation.

This document summarises the key points discussed at the roundtable event and was submitted to the Department of Health’s consultation on death certification reform.

I hope that all involved in the introduction of medical examiners will find the meeting report useful. While it doesn’t answer all the questions raised, it demonstrates a commitment to change for the benefit of patients and a willingness to work together to bring about this important reform. There is still work to be done before medical examiners are introduced in 2018 and the College looks forward to collaborating with all stakeholders to support successful implementation.