I AM writing in response to Member for Murray Helen Dalton's recent comments in relation to coronial autopsies, published on July 5.
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Politicising this very sensitive matter is in poor taste and I believe your readers deserve to know the facts.
Delays in coronial autopsies are influenced by a number of factors. Perhaps the most challenging of these is the global shortage of forensic pathologists.
It takes at least 10 years of training to become a qualified forensic pathologist. NSW Health Pathology is actively recruiting overseas while also training its largest ever group of forensic pathologist registrar trainees.
Facing this challenge in the short term, the government are pursuing a number of other ways to reduce delays.
We are considering legislative changes that could decrease the number of coronial autopsies. The Minister for Health has also written to the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners to promote education of GPS around certification of death.
NSW Health will also invest $450,000 in a new Forensic Medicine Information Management System. This modern electronic records management system will significantly increase capacity to manage cases across the different Forensic Medicine facilities to reduce potential delays.
The newly-announced high-level taskforce is one important initiative amongst a suite of actions the NSW Government is taking to tackle this issue of coronial autopsy delays from every possible angle.
It will examine further improvements to the current coronial system, particularly for regional and rural communities. This taskforce has convened and will hold its first formal meeting in August.
I have been a loud advocate for families on this issue since my election, and I am proud of the government's action on what is an extremely complicated and difficult policy area to address. If this isn't "getting on with it," I'm not sure what is.
Steph Cooke
Member for Cootamundra
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