THE way inquests are handled in North Yorkshire and York will change from April 1.

Currently the county is divided into two coroner areas and the city is a third, separate, one.

Between them they handle 1,820 deaths annually where the circumstances mean that a doctor cannot sign a death certificate.

From April 1, the areas will be combined into a single area, overseen by senior coroner Jonathan Heath.

He has been senior coroner for all three areas with a team of assistant coroners since autumn 2020.

The Ministry of Justice is advertising for a part-time area coroner to work three days a week in the new area.

There are currently four assistant coroners working in North Yorkshire and York.

Justice Minister, Tom Pursglove MP said: “It’s vital that grieving families receive the right support when they are most in need, including coroner services which are consistent and delivered to the highest standard.

“This merger will ensure bereaved people in Yorkshire benefit from better and more efficient services that prioritise their needs while reducing costs for local authorities.”

The change is part of a years-long national reorganisation of coroners' services creating larger coroner areas out of smaller ones.