New figures from the Ministry of Justice have revealed that the Isle of Wight is now the slowest area in the entire country for concluding inquests, with bereaved families facing an average wait of 76 weeks for answers.
In 2019, the average time taken to complete an inquest on the Isle of Wight was 35 weeks. But in just 5 years, that figure has more than doubled – increasing by 117% – to the current average of 76 weeks.
Other areas with long waits include South Wales Central (63 weeks), Hampshire, Portsmouth and Southampton (62 weeks), and Inner South London (60 weeks). These areas all have significantly higher populations.
A total of 679 deaths were reported on the Isle of Wight in 2024, down from 774 the previous year. Of those, 436 cases – around 64% – required a post-mortem examination.
Last year, a total of 123 inquests were opened, down from 174 in 2023, but just 38 inquests (of any age) were concluded by His Majesty’s Senior Coroner for the Isle of Wight, Caroline Sumeray, in 2024. It’s said that around 10% of inquests relate to prison deaths.
Island Echo currently has a list of more than 80 deaths that are expected to go to inquest, the oldest of which dates back to July 2021.
Mrs Sumeray has blamed several different factors for the lengthy delays, including a higher-than-average rate of road traffic collision deaths, a large elderly prison population, a secure mental health unit (Sevenacres), and an older general population. She says that the high number of care homes per capita, challenges faced by NHS services, a fully coastal border, and significant population surges during major events, such as annual music and sailing festivals, all contribute to this complexity.
The coroner has also highlighted that the Isle of Wight hosts the only active formal ‘Burials at Sea’ site, off The Needles. Areas of deprivation on the Island also impact the Coroner’s Service, she claims.
Another issue is a national shortage of pathologists, alongside the fact that there are no locally based pathologists who are prepared to provide a consistent commitment to the Coroner. The pathologist currently engaged by the Coroner travels to the Island to conduct post mortems. In cases where the cause of death is not immediately apparent, it can take 5 to 6 months to provide a cause.
Blame has also been apportioned to the Isle of Wight NHS Trust and their delays in completing Serious Incident Investigations, and the 18 months it takes Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary to produce a Forensic Collision Investigation Report. The Marine Accident Investigation Bureau have also been mentioned for taking 2-and-a-half years, in some cases, to investigate deaths at sea.
One of the key issues at the heart of the matter is a lack of staff within the service, with a high turnover of coroner’s officers reported. This has been a contributory factor for a number of years, but the Isle of Wight Council, which funds the service, just doesn’t seem to be able to employ and retain staff.
HM Coroner Caroline Sumeray has responded to the latest Government figures by highlighting the unique challenges faced locally:
“I recognise that the Isle of Wight Coronial Area is not the fastest to complete Inquests.
“There are multiple reasons for this, including the non-availability of an Island-based pathologist willing to do coronial work; a larger proportion of inquests having to wait for other external agencies’ investigations to be completed before they can proceed, and the need to ensure that we carry out extremely thorough investigations.
“It goes without saying that the fastest investigations are not always the most robust. It is essential that I leave no stone unturned.”
The Isle of Wight Council has recently opened a new dedicated Coroner’s Court at Seaclose Park in Newport, which has led to an increase in the number of hearings taking place, including the first jury inquest in some time. However, an Assistant Coroner has still not been recruited to support the service.
A formal opening of the court has not yet taken place.
Wendy Perera, chief executive of the Isle of Wight Council, has emphasised the importance of the Island’s Coroner’s Service. She’s said:
“Supporting Island families and the Coroner’s Office is of great importance to the council. We work in partnership with His Majesty’s Senior Coroner to provide the staffing and facilities to support the service and delivery of the Coroner’s statutory role.
“For many years, it has been difficult to maintain a fully staffed service which has impacted on service delivery. In addition, access to court facilities has also been challenging.
“The council has recently invested in creating a purpose-built Coroner’s Court at Seaclose Park to alleviate some of these pressures; steps are also being taken to ensure staffing resilience and to address any delay linked to these two issues.”
The Isle of Wight Council says it remains committed to supporting the Coroner and the Island’s Coroner’s Service to ensure the delivery of the best possible support for Island families.
Just a part of this failing country.
Everything is slow on the island, cannot get decent
staff to work on the island, so local Numpty’s do the
jobs, hence delays.
If she’s not up to the job get rid of her! If not then bring another coroner in to assist her through the backlog.
Give her her P45 and bring in someone who knows
what they are doing.