In this episode, Tom and Carl are joined by Georgia Richards, investigative journalist and lead of the Preventable Deaths Tracker—the UK’s first centralised surveillance platform for coroners’ Prevention of Future Deaths (PFD) reports.
Every year, coroners identify deaths that could have been prevented, and issue reports highlighting concerns and recommendations to reduce the risk of similar tragedies occurring again. Yet these reports have historically been fragmented, difficult to search, and underused.
Georgia explains how the Preventable Deaths Tracker brings these reports together into a single evidence-based vigilance platform, enabling the identification of recurring safety issues, the detection of emerging patterns, and the learning of lessons across healthcare, public services, and wider society.
Tom, Carl and Georgia discuss:
Why Prevention of Future Deaths reports matter.
What the Tracker reveals about recurring systemic failures.
How journalists, clinicians, policymakers and researchers can use the platform.
The opportunities—and challenges—of turning coroners’ findings into meaningful action.
Why better surveillance of preventable deaths could improve patient safety and public health.
The conversation explores how better use of routinely collected evidence can help move from documenting preventable harm to preventing it.
