Coroner's office
South Staffordshire Coroner
Mr Andrew Barkley (Interim Senior Coroner)
Supported by:
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3 Assistant Coroners
- Emma Serrano
- Duncan Ritchie
- Daniel Howe
Coroners investigate deaths that are reported to them. They do so as sensitively as possible, but must make sure that proper enquiries are made.
A coroner can issue forms allowing a death to be registered as a natural death, order an autopsy or open an inquest or investigation.
Information leaflets
Contact the Coroner's office:
Mr A Barkley (HM Coroner for Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent)
HM Coroner’s Court & Chambers
Stoke Town Hall
Kingsway
Stoke-on-Trent
ST4 1HH
Email: coroners@stoke.gov.uk
Telephone: 01782 234777
Office hours
Hospital, GP and register office referrals
Hospitals, GPs and register offices must refer deaths using the coroner’s web portal.
Any attachments, such as previous medical history / reports, may be added at the time of the referral using the 'upload file' facility located on the referrer details page.
Upcoming Inquest Hearings
The Coroners’ Courts Support Service is a registered charity whose volunteers give emotional and practical support to families and other witnesses attending inquests.
Deaths due to natural disease or illness
The coroner's office will issue a certificate giving the cause of death. They will send it to the registrar once the enquiries have finished. The coroner's office will let you know when you can register the death.
Where cause of death is unclear
The doctor, hospital or registrar will report the death to the coroner. There will be a delay before you can register the death while the coroner holds an inquest.
Find out more about the coroners office.
Inquests
An inquest is not a trial, it is an enquiry to find out who the deceased was and how, when and where they died.
A coroner will order an inquest on a deaths which:
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appear to be due to violence or neglect
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are unnatural
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are sudden and of unknown cause
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have happened in legal custody
The coroner will give you an interim death certificate. This is so you can deal with the estate. They will tell you how to get the full certificate when they have finished the inquest.
The coroner will keep information as confidential as possible. The system is based on public court hearings. The coroner can explain the reasons why they cannot keep some information confidential. This is as long as you have a right to know.
View more about inquests on the NHS website.