Our team
This project was founded by Dr Georgia Richards in 2020 with support from a team of academics, Clinical Pharmacologists, Coroners, Epidemiologists, Pharmacists and Scientists from the University of Oxford, Birmingham, and London. Our team has been undertaking research on coroners’ Prevention of Future Deaths reports (PFDs) and has acted as expert witnesses in coronial courts and other legal cases related to PFDs for decades. You can find out more about our team below.
From left to right: Dr Georgia Richards , Prof Carl Heneghan, Dr Jeffrey Aronson, Prof Robin Ferner , Prof Anthony Cox, and Dr Richard Brittain.
We also acknowledge the time and work of many students at the University of Oxford and Birmingham and junior doctors who have contributed to or led research projects, including Ali Ains, Benjamin Bremner, Grace Anthony, Dr Maja Bilip, Simran Bilku, Milan Campion, Jessica De La Haye, Dr Francesco Dernie, Dr Nicholas DeVito, Harrison France, Joshua Loo, Louis Odgers, Laura Seeney, Bethan Swift, Dr Elizabeth Thomas, and Qingyang Zhang.
The work we do
Our work spans three areas, including 1) research, 2) education, and 3) communication.
We design studies to answer essential questions for public health and safety, with more than 20 published to date.
We write scientific reports and academic publications, engage with the media, and continually develop the Preventable Deaths Tracker.
We build capacity by teaching, supervising, and mentoring the next generation, providing opportunities for medical and research students to conduct tailored investigations using the Preventable Deaths Database.
We consult, providing advice and training for users of the Preventable Deaths Database, the writing of PFDs, and building digital processes to improve the PFD system.
Funding
We have no core funding to support this work. Dr Richards was awarded grants from the NIHR SPCR to fund the initial development of the website, including an Engagement and Dissemination grant (2020) and Seedcorn grant (2021).
If you’re interested in funding this work, please get in touch: georgiarichardscebm@gmail.com
Why is this work important?
In England and Wales, 22.5% of all deaths were considered avoidable in 2019. Yet only 526 PFDs (0.1% of all deaths) were published in 2019. Thus, the wider communication of coroner PFD reports, and the actions taken or proposed could have helped prevent thousands of deaths.
While many recognise the important lessons outlined by coroners in PFDs, the lack of communication of the lessons and the insufficient auditing of the statutory requirement of responding to PFDs and taking action limits their use. The Preventable Deaths Tracker is trying to change this.
How can I get involved?
If you’d like to get involved in this research or the funding of our work, please get in touch: georgiarichardscebm@gmail.com