Guidance on Reports to Prevent Future Deaths (revised January 2016)

Summary

Rule 43 reports were replaced on implementation of the Coroners and Justice Act 2009 with Reports on Action to Prevent Future Deaths (‘reports’) .For short they can be referred to as PFDs or PFD reports or Regulation 28 reports.

These reports are important. Coroners have a duty not just to decide how somebody came by their death but also, where appropriate, to report about that death with a view to preventing future deaths. A bereaved family wants to be able to say: ‘His death was tragic and terrible, but at least it shouldn’t happen to somebody else.’

Broadly speaking reports should be intended to improve public health, welfare and safety. They should not be unduly general in their content; sweeping generalisations should be avoided. They should be clear, brief, focused