Coroner Services Panel

National Panel for Local Authority Coroner Services

The Panel exists to ensure the views, experience and challenges of local authority coroner services are represented at a national level, while supporting clear two‑way communication between national policy leads and local delivery teams.

What We Do

The National Panel plays a key role in connecting policy, practice and local experience. Our work includes:

• Representing the views of local authority coroner managers at a national level
• Supporting dialogue between local and central government on issues affecting coroner service delivery
• Providing a forum for sharing information and good practice across coroner areas
• Offering advice and feedback on policy development and future strategy affecting local authority coroner services
• Raising the profile of local authority coroner services both nationally and locally

How the Panel Works

The National Panel is made up of local authority representatives alongside key national stakeholders.

England and Wales are represented through ten regional Area Chairs, each of whom leads a regional group. These Chairs ensure that issues raised locally are fed into national discussions, and that national updates are shared consistently across all areas.

National Stakeholders

Meetings are also attended by representatives from:

• Ministry of Justice
• Chief Coroner’s Office
• National Medical Examiner
• General Register Office
• Local Government Association
• Coroners’ Society of England and Wales
• National Police Chiefs’ Council

Meetings and Engagement

National Panel meetings are held quarterly. Each national meeting is followed by regional meetings in every area, ensuring a two‑way flow of information between local services and national stakeholders.

Workstreams and Benchmarking

The National Panel undertakes regular benchmarking work to understand the costs, resources and pressures involved in delivering coroner services across local authorities.

In 2023, the Panel produced a national report examining challenges in pathology service provision, based on a survey of coroner areas across England and Wales.