What happens to coroners' recommendations for improving public health and safety? Organisational responses under a mandatory response regime in Victoria, Australia

G Sutherland; C Kemp; L Bugeja; G Sewell; J Pirkis; DM Studdert

Journal article

What happens to coroners' recommendations for improving public health and safety? Organisational responses under a mandatory response regime in Victoria, Australia

G Sutherland, C Kemp, L Bugeja, G Sewell, J Pirkis, DM Studdert

BMC Public Health | BIOMED CENTRAL LTD | Published : 2014

DOI: 10.1186/1471-2458-14-732

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Abstract

Background: Several countries of the British Commonwealth, including Australia and the United Kingdom, vest in coroners the power to issue recommendations for protecting public health and safety. Little is known about whether and how organisations that receive recommendations act on them. Concerns that recommendations are frequently ignored prompted the government of Victoria, Australia, to introduce a requirement in 2008 compelling organisations that receive recommendations to provide a written statement of action. Methods. We conducted a prospective study of organisations that received recommendations from Victorian coroners over a 33-month period. Using an online survey, we asked represen..

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University of Melbourne Researchers

Georgina Sutherland Author

Graham Sewell Author

Jane Pirkis Author

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Grants

Funding Acknowledgements

The authors thank Dr. Diana Bowman for her contribution to the concept and design of the project. The study was funded by a Linkage Grant (LP100100307) and Laureate Fellowship (FL110100102 to Dr. Studdert), both from the Australian Research Council.