Hillingdon Council has agreed to join a joint arrangement for Coroner Officer staffing, led by the London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham. The decision, made at a Cabinet meeting on Thursday, 17 September 2026, follows the Metropolitan Police Service's withdrawal of staffing support for Coroner Officers.
The collaborative approach aims to maintain a coordinated Coroner Officer service across West London through a shared legal, financial, and governance framework. Hillingdon's future contribution to the funding model will be based on a population-based formula. This model involves phased contributions from the Metropolitan Police Service and participating councils. The Metropolitan Police Service will cover the full agreed cost for the 2026/27 and 2027/28 financial years. Their contributions will then reduce in 2028/29 and 2029/30, with participating councils collectively funding the service from 2030/31 onwards.
Councillor Wayne Bridges, Cabinet Member for Residents Services, stated that the decision would support an orderly transition and maintain the collective West London approach. This ensures the Coroner's Court continues to provide a reliable service to residents, the courts, and bereaved families.
Authority has been delegated to the Corporate Director of Adult Social Care and Health, in consultation with Councillor Bridges, the Corporate Director of Finance, and the Monitoring Officer, to finalise and execute the necessary agreements. Further details on the budget monitoring related to this and other council activities can be found in the Cabinet Agenda B - Budget Monitoring 17th Sep 2026.