GRIEVING families in Greater Manchester are having to wait longer for inquests into the deaths of loved ones because of a massive backlog.

Delays are due to an increase in the number of deaths being referred to coroners after the Shipman case and new human rights legislation requiring more detailed investigations.

Case Study: One families' three year wait....

All four coroners for the county have been swamped by extra cases or inquiries. And they are calling on Constitutional Affairs Minister Harriet Harman to consider providing more resources to help speed things up.

At the same time, the government is thinking of cutting the number of coroners. Although some coroners also work as solicitors, under Whitehall proposals their posts would become full-time.

In one case, an inquest into a man who died in police custody in Eccles, in January 2003, will not be heard until September this year - three years and nine months after the incident.

'Busy'

Jennifer Leeming, coroner for Bolton, Salford and Wigan, says the number of inquests she has held has risen from 317 in 2002 to 475 last year.

During the same period, the number of deaths referred to her increased from 2,873 to 3,444.

She said: "My jurisdiction is particularly busy.

"After negotiations, Bolton has allowed me to bring in my deputy on a weekly basis to do inquests. Normally, he would only cover holidays." She said the impact of Tameside GP Harold Shipman being convicted of murdering 15 of his patients and the inquiry which followed, which concluded he had killed 250, had been huge.

Mrs Leeming said: "Doctors are now much more ready, and rightly so, to report a death they may have concerns about.

'Human rights'

"There has also been the impact of human rights legislation. For example, after a death in custody, I have to hold a special type of inquiry because a citizen's rights to life may have been infringed. An inquest which might have taken a day or two will take a week.

"My major concern is for the family of the deceased. You have to accept that the price of a detailed inquiry is delay.

"In some cases, the delay is huge, but I believe that's good if it means the inquiry is thorough."

Simon Nelson, coroner for Bury, Rochdale, and Oldham, was appointed in 2002. In the previous year his predecessor dealt with 205 inquests. Last year, Mr Nelson held 317 inquests and had another 185 outstanding.

Mr Nelson said: "The service needs more resources. The Greater Manchester coroners are suggesting that as well as the government proposal, there should be full-time coroners and full-time deputies.

"That would create a proper career structure, instead of having to learn on the job.

"Ultimately, more resources would benefit families who would not have to wait so long.

"I am able to cope with workload but the cases are taking longer."

Time

Stockport coroner John Pollard, who also covers Trafford and Tameside, has had an increase from 492 inquests in 2003 to 664 last year. His staff reckons a further 100 would have been held last year if more court space could have been found.

Leonard Gorodkin, deputy coroner for Manchester, said: "The inquest figures in the city have been fairly constant for the last four years.

"What has increased tremendously is the amount of time spent by coroners on stuff in connection with inquest cases.

"Many more inquiries are made by members of the public which have to be dealt with.

"Human rights legislation does mean that some inquests are taking longer, as inquiries have to be more extensive.

"In general, the case load has not increased - but the workload has."

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