Dorset
Coroner Area
Reports: 83
Earliest: Aug 2013
Latest: 12 Feb 2026
93% response rate (above 62% average).
Iain Farrell
All Responded
2023-0407
13 Oct 2023
National Coasteering Charter
Other related deaths
Concerns summary
Concerns arise from risks associated with lone guiding in coasteering, including guide incapacitation, delayed alarm raising due to inaccessible communication, and inadequate assessment of participant swimming ability or fitness.
Edward Rhodes
All Responded
2023-0280
1 Aug 2023
Beaufort Road Surgery
Alcohol, drug and medication related deaths
Concerns summary
There was a breakdown in communication between GP and an addict regarding mental health referral steps, relying solely on verbal discussions without an automatic referral system or written confirmation, leading to unmet care.
Ivan Ignatov
All Responded
2023-0182
8 Jun 2023
Association of Ambulance
College of Policing
Dorset Police
+8 more
Other related deaths
Concerns summary
A detainee's mental health assessment was missed in police custody, and an act of self-harm was misjudged. Critical risk information, including first-time custody status, was not properly recorded or collated, hindering comprehensive risk assessment.
Kenneth Adams
All Responded
2023-0100Deceased
22 Mar 2023
International Academics of Emergency Di…
Emergency services related deaths (2019 onwards)
Concerns summary
The ambulance dispatch protocol (MPDS) inadequately prioritizes scalp lacerations in patients on antiplatelet/anticoagulant medication, failing to account for persistent bleeding or medication effects, leading to dangerous treatment delays.
Tarik Drakes
All Responded
2023-0091Deceased
15 Mar 2023
Bournemouth Churches Housing Associatio…
Alcohol, drug and medication related deaths
Concerns summary
Dorset Lodge, a supported housing facility, suffers from inadequate staffing, unmonitored guest entry, and poor welfare checks, creating an environment where drug use and safeguarding risks are prevalent.
Jamie Wood
All Responded
2023-0061Deceased
17 Feb 2023
Health and Safety Executive
Other related deaths
Concerns summary
Heavy concrete panels on a farm were secured using a weaker, non-standard method, unrecognised during inspections, indicating a widespread lack of understanding of safe fixing practices among farmers and inspectors.
Stephen Wood
All Responded
2023-0047Deceased
8 Feb 2023
National Highways Agency
BCP Council
Dorset council
+2 more
Road (Highways Safety) related deaths
Concerns summary
A significant road obstruction caused a fatal collision, highlighted by a lack of public awareness and legal obligation to report road hazards not directly caused.
Jason Williams
All Responded
2023-0039Deceased
2 Feb 2023
HM Prison and Probation Service
HM Prison Guys Marsh
NHS England
Alcohol, drug and medication related deaths
State Custody related deaths
Concerns summary
Lack of national guidance for vulnerable prisoners and widespread failure to deliver the keyworker program, coupled with poor prison staff record-keeping due to insufficient refresher training, compromised care.
Derek Larkin
All Responded
2023-0018Deceased
19 Jan 2023
Dorset Clinical Commissioning Group
Dorset Council
Care Home Health related deaths
Concerns summary
Inability of Dorset Council's Adult Social Care system (Mosaic) to communicate with NHS SytemOne prevents social care teams from accessing vital patient medication and review information, hindering comprehensive care.
Bradleigh Barnes
All Responded
2022-0332
24 Oct 2022
Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust
HMPPS
HMP YOI Portland
+1 more
State Custody related deaths
Suicide (from 2015)
Gerald Tuck
All Responded
2022-0254
12 Aug 2022
Tricuro
Care Home Health related deaths
Concerns summary
The care home lacked a formal policy or guidance for reviewing care plans and risk assessments following incidents like falls. This systemic gap led to a crucial falls risk assessment not being updated after multiple falls, increasing future risk.
Mathew Moore
All Responded
2022-0249
9 Aug 2022
Swanage Medical Practice
Alcohol, drug and medication related deaths
Suicide (from 2015)
Concerns summary
An unsafe amount of benzodiazepine was remotely prescribed to a patient consuming excess alcohol, without a clear policy for such circumstances or documented communication of concerns. There was also a lack of follow-up for this remote prescribing.
Gaia Pope-Sutherland
All Responded
2022-0222
21 Jul 2022
Royal College of Psychiatrists
Department of Health and Social Care
Association of British Neurologist
+6 more
Mental Health related deaths
Concerns summary
Poor communication between neurology and mental health teams, under-resourced epilepsy services, and inadequate police training on epilepsy and complex mental health conditions pose significant risks.
Nicholas Rose
All Responded
2022-0106
7 Apr 2022
HMP Guys Marsh Prison
Alcohol, drug and medication related deaths
State Custody related deaths
Concerns summary
Accepting a "grunt" as a verbal response during prison welfare checks is insufficient for assessing a prisoner's true welfare, potentially missing signs of distress or incapacitation.
Emiliano Sala
All Responded
2022-0089
18 Mar 2022
Department for Transport
Department for Culture
Lawn Tennis Association
+18 more
Other related deaths
Concerns summary
The market for illegal commercial flights, especially in sports, operates without required safety standards, risking future deaths. The Civil Aviation Authority has limited powers to investigate and prosecute these breaches.
Carol Cole
All Responded
2022-0033
2 Feb 2022
Dorset Police
Dorset Council
Alcohol, drug and medication related deaths
Mental Health related deaths
Concerns summary
A flawed process for sharing Public Protection Notices (PPNs) with GPs in the Dorset Council area meant crucial mental health concerns were not received, leading to missed patient assessments.
Kyle Nel
All Responded
2021-0426
22 Dec 2021
HMP Guy’s Marsh and Prisons and Probati…
Alcohol, drug and medication related deaths
State Custody related deaths
Concerns summary
The prison failed to adequately respond to family concerns, lacked structured record-keeping for prisoner welfare, and had known security flaws with fences enabling drug transfers between units.
Alexander Tostevin
All Responded
2021-0407
6 Dec 2021
Ministry of Defence
Mental Health related deaths
Service Personnel related deaths
Suicide (from 2015)
Concerns summary
Military mental health care lacks independence, potentially causing underreporting of symptoms due to disclosure fears. The absence of a composite risk assessment and DCMH's primacy in MDT meetings can lead to inadequate risk management.
Anthony Clacher
All Responded
2021-0356
22 Oct 2021
HM Prison and Probation Service
NHS England and NHS Digital
Department of Health and Social Care
Alcohol, drug and medication related deaths
Mental Health related deaths
Other related deaths
State Custody related deaths
Concerns summary
A national lack of guidance for welfare checks and monitoring prisoners under the influence of psychoactive substances poses significant risks of physical and mental health deterioration, including death.
William Buchanan
All Responded
2021-0300
1 Sep 2021
Department of Health and Social Care
Product related deaths
Concerns summary
Elderly individuals can acquire mobility scooters without any assessment of their suitability or competence to use them, posing a significant safety risk.
Sarah Lewis
All Responded
2021-0251
20 Jul 2021
Department for Transport
Other related deaths
Road (Highways Safety) related deaths
Concerns summary
The absence of mandatory rear cameras on Large Goods Vehicles creates critical blind spots, contributing to collisions with pedestrians during reversing manoeuvres.
Wilfred Breakell
All Responded
2021-0165
20 May 2021
BCP Council
Community health care and emergency services related deaths
Other related deaths
Road (Highways Safety) related deaths
Concerns summary
A lack of safety barriers between the highway and a storm drain at a road exit poses a significant risk of cyclists and vehicles falling into it.
Michael Woods
All Responded
2021-0015
18 Jan 2021
National Rifle Association and National…
Product related deaths
Suicide (from 2015)
Concerns summary
Shooting range staff lack consistent national training in identifying abnormal behaviour or conducting emergency response exercises, which could significantly improve safety protocols for participants.
Cheralyn Clulow
All Responded
2021-0009
12 Jan 2021
Dorset Police
Alcohol, drug and medication related deaths
Police related deaths
Concerns summary
Police lacked appropriate fire drop keys and training for emergency access to communal properties, causing delays in attending a deceased person's address.
Brandon-Robert Collins-Hayward
All Responded
2021-0088
1 Dec 2020
Royal College of Obstetricians and Gyna…
Royal College of Paediatrics and Child …
Child Death (from 2015)
Hospital Death (Clinical Procedures and medical management) related deaths
Concerns summary
Absence of national guidance for postnatal home visits to include basic newborn observations and for medical assessment of babies when mothers are admitted with potential sepsis creates future death risks.