The role of coroner in natural deaths in the elderly in New South Wales, Australia – can this change for the better?

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ABSTRACT

In 2015, the combined average life expectancy for males and females in Australia was ranked 6^th in the world at 82.5 years. The exact age at which a person can be classified as being elderly will differ amongst countries but is generally between 60–65 years. The increase in life expectancy and increased recognition of the elderly as a vulnerable group will most likely lead to an increased workload in the medico-legal death investigation system.

KEYWORDS:

• Coronial workload
• elderly
• legislative requirements
• natural deaths

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).