Petition · past parliament · Department of Health and Social Care

Make it a legal duty for hospital trusts to report unexplained deaths to police

Closed 31 signatures

What the petition asks

In light of recent events and the reluctance of the Countess of Chester Hospital to report a pattern of unexplained deaths in the neonatal unit to police, to create primary legislation that places a legal duty on NHS Trusts to report such matters to police for further investigation.
Recent events are the latest example of where a hospital trust has failed to report a pattern of unexplained deaths to police. Such cases damage and impact on the NHS and public confidence in it. Independent scrutiny and investigation is vital in such cases. This petition calls for a legal requirement on NHS Trusts to report matters to police where a pattern of unexplained deaths occurs within a health or care setting or, where concerns are raised by a number of staff.

Timeline

1 Sep 2023 Petition opened for signatures
1 Mar 2024 Closed to new signatures

Key facts

Signatures 31
Status Closed
Department Department of Health and Social Care
Opened 1 Sep 2023
Closed 1 Mar 2024

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Source: the official petition page. Last checked 15 Jul 2026.