The news, reported in the Independent, angered doctors’ leaders, who called for the medical examiner investigations to be made public.

The local examiners are to conduct reviews of the deaths of more than 620 NHS staff during the pandemic. They will be reporting their findings to the national medical examiner Dr Alan Fletcher.

The examiners may also refer cases to local coroners or to the Health and Safety Executive – and will consult families of the deceased. But the families may not receive the findings.

The Department for Health and Social Care said the process aimed to “support local learning.” The paper quotes it as saying the findings would not be made public – although it has not yet decided finally what to do with them.

A spokesperson said: “A summary of every case is received by the national medical examiner, who reviews findings and ensures employers are contacted if deemed necessary. We are monitoring progress of the medical examiners’ scrutiny, and consideration will be given to whether further steps should be taken in due course.”

Doctors’ Association chair Dr Rinesh Parmar said: “Following a petition with over 120,000 signatures we launched a legal challenge with the Good Law Project to urge the government to launch a rapid public inquiry into healthcare worker deaths and guarantee that investigations are opened in every case. Following that pressure the government has sanctioned medical examiner investigations, but we are learning that their findings may be hidden or swept under a rug.

“The families of our colleagues who have died deserve to know what happened, the circumstances surrounding the death and whether a lack of adequate PPE led to the deaths of loved ones.”

He added: “Learning needs to be widely shared in an NHS where we learn not blame, where we improve and prevent future tragedies and safeguard staff and patients alike. This is simply not possible if the findings are buried rather than published openly.”

The Independent revealed on Tuesday that medical examiners across England and Wales have been asked by ministers to investigate more than 620 deaths of frontline staff that occurred during the pandemic.

The senior doctors will review the circumstances and medical cause of death in each case and attempt to determine whether the worker may have caught the virus during the course of their duties.

But now the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) said the results will be kept secret with the aim of helping local hospitals to learn and improve protection for staff.

It has sparked criticism from across the political spectrum with both Labour and the Liberal Democrats calling for more transparency and warning against a “cover up” of any findings.

Dr Rinesh Parmar, chair of the Doctors’ Association UK, said: “The families of our colleagues who have died deserve to know what happened, the circumstances surrounding the death and whether a lack of adequate PPE led to the deaths of loved ones. Learning needs to be widely shared in an NHS where we learn not blame, where we improve and prevent future tragedies and safeguard staff and patients alike. This is simply not possible if the findings are buried rather than published openly.”

Read the full article in The Independent here

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The Independent has reported that an investigation began last month, covering around 620 deaths of nurses, doctors and care home staff since the beginning of March.

The review could trigger a number of investigations by hospitals, the Health and Safety Executive and coroners into whether staff received sufficient protective equipment. Early into the pandemic there were numerous reports of hospitals running out of protective masks and clothing.

In April, health secretary Matt Hancock announced that families of health and care workers who died from the virus as a result of their duties would receive a death in service benefit of £60,000.

Medical examiners will independently review all relevant deaths to verify the correct cause and identify any concerns around treatment. They will be asked to indicate whether the worker was tested for Covid-19 and the result was recorded, and whether there is reason to believe the infection was acquired in the course employment.

If so, hospitals have a duty to report this to the Health and Safety Executive (according to Riddor (reporting of injuries, diseases and dangerous occurrences regulations)). The HSE could then investigate. Certain cases may be passed on to a coroner.

Medical examiners are employed by local trusts and are accountable to a national medical examiner. They were introduced after the public inquiry into serial killer GP Harold Shipman.

An NHS England spokesperson told The Independent: “NHS and other care staff have gone to extraordinary lengths to treat people during the Covid-19 pandemic, it’s absolutely right that we seek to understand the circumstances of every death, which is why all NHS employers will work with the Health and Safety Executive, as well as local and regional medical examiners, to ensure any lessons are learned to protect frontline staff.”

Doctors’ Association UK, which represents doctors, has campaigned for a public inquiry into the deaths of NHS workers during the coronavirus pandemic. It welcomed the reviews into the deaths but said they could go further.

Dr Rinesh Parmar, its chair, said: “It’s a positive step that the government is recognising these deaths need investigation, but we would ask that they take the next step with a full coroner’s investigation into all health worker deaths.

“Coroners are best placed to carry out independent investigations. They have the experience and they are not directly employed by hospital trusts so there is less of a chance of them being persuaded to make certain decisions or recommendations.”