BEREAVED families across Teesside and Hartlepool will see the pain of going through an inquest eased after ministers confirmed the merger of the two coroner areas.
Senior Coroner Clare Bailey has already overseen significant improvements in Teesside, drastically reducing waiting times for families finding out the cause of death of a loved one.
The average time taken to complete an inquest at Teesside has been cut from circa 50 weeks in 2013 to circa 11 weeks in 2017. The national average time to complete an inquest is 21 weeks.
The Teesside service had been beset by a huge backlog of inquests until Senior Teesside Coroner Michael Sheffield retired in 2015.
Clare Bailey, who has also been the acting Senior Coroner for Hartlepool, will be permanently appointed the position for the combined area. No courts or inquest venues will close as a result of the merger.
Justice Minister Edward Argar said: “We are reforming the coroner system to ensure those who are grieving do not face the additional stress of poor service and lengthy inquest delays.
“As a result of this merger, bereaved families across Teesside and Hartlepool will now benefit from a higher standard of service during their time of need."
The newly merged coroner area of Teesside and Hartlepool is due to come into force on August 1.
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