Coroners' guidelines for health practitioners: help or hindrance?

In Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland, coroners' guidelines have been developed to assist health practitioners in complying with their coronial reporting obligations. These guidelines, which are intended to work hand in hand with the legislation, leading the health practitioner through the law, its interpretation and its application, have been commended for assisting with a more detailed and structured consideration of often complex issues. However, closer scrutiny of these guidelines shows legal inaccuracies and other errors that have the potential to lead health practitioners into error. In circumstances where failure to comply with reporting obligations can constitute a criminal offence as well as professional misconduct, this situation is unacceptable. This article recommends changes to the guidelines to bring them into conformity with the law ensuring that the guidelines operate as a help, and not a hindrance, to health care practitioners.