A coroner, or a procurator fiscal in Scotland, is obliged by law to investigate the circumstances surrounding a death, and can request medical records and relevant information about the deceased. You must comply with these requests.
If the records contain sensitive information that the deceased may not have wanted disclosed, or that might upset family members, you must alert the coroner or procurator fiscal beforehand. They can then decide how best to deal with the information at the inquiry.
You can read more on this in our guide on confidentiality and disclosing information after death, as well as taking our free e-learning course.
This page was correct at publication on 18/02/2022. Any guidance is intended as general guidance for members only. If you are a member and need specific advice relating to your own circumstances, please contact one of our advisers.