Mortality inferred from death certificates reflects coroners' practice, not the true mortality

EDITOR,—S J Calder and colleagues' conclusion that death certificates do not reflect the true mortality from hip fracture1 is supported by data from Peterborough. Of the 303 patients with hip fracture who were admitted to Peterborough District Hospital during 1995, 17 died within 28 days, of whom 15 died in hospital. Current practice is to discuss all these cases with the coroner. The coroner allowed the death certificate …