Preventable Deaths Tracker
A national vigilance platform to learn lessons following death investigations
One in five deaths are avoidable each year – that’s over 125,000 in England and Wales. Yet, there was no system in place to collate, track, or learn from these deaths. The Preventable Deaths Tracker is changing this.
The Preventable Deaths Tracker is an evidence-based vigilance and learning tool that monitors deaths reported by coroners. It is led by Dr Georgia Richards at King’s College London.
Geography
From July 2013 to present
About the Preventable Deaths Tracker
Our mission is to save lives by enabling learning from avoidable deaths. We build tools, conduct research, and educate the next generation.
Research from the Preventable Deaths Tracker
We conduct bespoke analyses and studies using coroners’ reports to identify trends and learning.
Autistic Spectrum Disorder
Deaths reported by coroners in people with autism published in the Journal of Adult Protection.
Opioids
Deaths reported by coroners involving strong pain medicines published in the Journal of Public Health.
Sepsis
Deaths reported by coroners from sepsis published in Infection.
Covid-19 pandemic
Deaths reported by coroners during the COVID-19 pandemic until June 2021 published in BMJ Evidence-Based Medicine.
Impact of the Preventable Deaths Tracker
We engage with the justice and healthcare systems, media, and policymakers to improve the death investigation system.
Address to the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Patient Safety
Dr Richards delivered a talk to the APPG on Patient Safety to share the work of the PDT.
Commissioned article for The Times
Dr Richards was commissioned to write a feature on the work of the Preventable Deaths Tracker.
Findings from the follow-up Inquiry to the Coroner Service
The Justice Committee featured the work of the PDT and our recommendations to Parliament in their letter to the Minister.
Feature in The BMJ
The work of the PDT was published in The BMJ’s feature article on inquests, making the front cover.
Support the Preventable Deaths Tracker
If you or your organisation can provide sustainable funding for the Preventable Deaths Tracker, please do get in contact.