Medical Examiner Service

The ENHANCE study did not support automatic disclosure of research participation through the medical examiner service as its primary communication model. From 9 September 2024, all deaths in England and Wales not investigated by a coroner must be reviewed by a medical examiner. The NHS piloted a statutory medical examiner system in England and Wales from 2020/21 to independently scrutinise deaths. Many professionals were concerned that embedding research communication in the medical examiner service would compromise its independence and add out-of-scope responsibilities. Because medical examiner officers already contact relatives soon after death, they were assessed as a potentially useful early contact route for research notification.