Inquest & Fatal Cardiac Reports
An independent cardiology opinion for fatal cardiac inquests and Article 2 hearings — whether the care met accepted standards and whether earlier intervention could have prevented the death. Prepared under the Coroners (Inquests) Rules 2013, to CPR Part 35 standard for any subsequent civil claim.
- Article 2 inquests
- Sudden cardiac death
- GMC Specialist Register
Fatal cardiac inquests
require cardiology evidence
An inquest cardiology report addresses the medical questions the coroner must resolve — whether the death was due to natural causes, whether the care met accepted standards, and whether earlier intervention could have prevented it.
The report is prepared under the Coroners (Inquests) Rules 2013 and the Coroners and Justice Act 2009 for the inquest itself, and to CPR Part 35 standard so the same opinion carries into any subsequent civil claim.
- Article 2 inquests where the state’s positive obligations under the Human Rights Act 1998 are engaged, requiring scrutiny of clinical systems as well as individual care.
- Sudden cardiac death inquests where the coroner needs an opinion on whether the death was foreseeable, whether ECG interpretation or troponin testing was adequate, and whether timely intervention could have altered the outcome.
- Interested-person representation where a Trust, clinician or family needs an independent cardiology view on the care provided ahead of the hearing.
- Civil claims arising from a fatal event where the inquest findings feed into breach of duty or causation in subsequent clinical negligence litigation.
What the report covers.
The report addresses the cardiology questions the coroner must resolve, applying the Bolam and Bolitho tests to the clinical facts and referencing contemporaneous NICE and ESC guidance. It does not determine the cause of death — that remains the coroner’s function.
Cardiology questions addressed
- Whether the clinical care fell below the standard of a responsible body of cardiologists under the Bolam and Bolitho framework, referenced against contemporaneous NICE, ESC and British Cardiovascular Society guidance.
- Whether the death was due to natural causes, or whether earlier intervention could, on the balance of probabilities, have prevented it.
- Whether the records are sufficient to answer the coroner’s questions, or what further disclosure (troponin results, echocardiography reports, ambulance records) is required.
- Whether the death engages Article 2 ECHR, requiring the coroner to investigate systemic failures in clinical governance or service provision.
- A signed declaration of the expert’s duty to the coroner under the Coroners (Inquests) Rules 2013, with a CPR Part 35 statement of truth where the report is also to be used in subsequent civil proceedings.
Not addressed in the report
- Non-cardiac causes of death — respiratory, neurological — unless the case is explicitly cross-disciplinary.
- The final determination of the medical cause of death — that is the coroner’s statutory function under the Coroners and Justice Act 2009; the report is evidence, not a determination.
- Assessment of the deceased’s condition and prognosis — the report addresses the care provided and its relation to the fatal event.
Where we are regularly instructed
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Article 2 · A&E
Missed acute coronary syndrome
Chest pain at A&E; ECG and troponin not performed; discharged home; fatal STEMI 24 hours later. The report addresses whether the initial assessment fell below accepted standards, whether the death was foreseeable, and whether timely PCI could have altered the outcome.
Often paired with: Breach of Duty Causation
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Article 2 · Primary care
Delayed AF anticoagulation
Atrial fibrillation, CHA₂DS₂-VASc score of 4, no anticoagulation prescribed against NICE guidance, followed by fatal embolic stroke. The report addresses whether the management fell below accepted standards, whether the stroke was preventable, and whether the death engages Article 2.
Often paired with: Breach of Duty AF anticoagulation claims
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Article 2 · Procedural
Post-procedural sudden cardiac death
Elective PCI complicated by acute stent thrombosis and fatal VF arrest 48 hours later. The report addresses whether peri-procedural antiplatelet management fell below accepted standards and whether earlier recognition could have prevented the death.
Often paired with: Combined Breach & Causation Cardiac intervention claims
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Defendant · Interested person
Trust representation at inquest
A Trust represented as an interested person needs an independent cardiology view on the care provided before the hearing, where systemic failure in ACS management is alleged.
Often paired with: Breach of Duty Critique & Rebuttal
Report format, length and turnaround.
Most inquest reports run to twelve to twenty pages. Standard instructions are returned within four to six weeks. Where the inquest hearing date or a limitation deadline requires it, an expedited timetable of two to four weeks is available subject to capacity. Each report carries a signed declaration of the expert’s duty to the coroner under the Coroners (Inquests) Rules 2013, with a CPR Part 35 statement of truth where it is also to be used in subsequent civil proceedings, and is signed by a GMC-registered consultant cardiologist on the Specialist Register.
Fixed fee where the records bundle is contained. Larger or complex matters are quoted on an indicative basis with a cap. LAA rates and deferred payment terms available — full fee schedule.
Need a fatal cardiac & inquest report?
Submit case details today via email or our contact form and receive a same-working-day quotation. For urgent inquest hearings, call using the number below.
Same-working-day quotation Fixed fee where the bundle allows GMC Specialist Register