Public authority under FOIA and the EIR. Escalation: Public Services Ombudsman for Wales (PSOW). Court: Administrative Court (judicial review). Correspondence: 19 emails (9 sent, 10 received).
📍 Checked in at: FOI request
Next step (forecast): review request, 26 Oct 2026
Every option used up (forecast): 29 March 2028
No public statements found yet; the record below involves them.
We confirm automatic receipt of the family's email in our Subject Access Request mailbox and will respond once reviewed.
“Your request will be reviewed by our team and we will contact you if any further information or clarification is required.”
I confirm the family will sign the application themselves, correct William Buckler's death date to 15 May 1992 at Llandough Hospital, and ask whether any records survive for him or Mary Doreen Williams, with destruction details if not, and that any surviving records be preserved.
“Please make sure that any surviving records for either patient are kept while the application is made and dealt with.”
Seen ✓ · answered 21 Oct 2026
We explain that the Medical Examiner Service did not exist in 1983 or 1990, so death certification then was done by the attending doctor, and suggest the GRO or hospital/archive records as possible sources for William Buckler and Mary Doreen Williams.
“The Medical Examiner system only arrived many decades later”
We confirm that the summary you set out in your email is correct.
We have answered the family's questions about William Buckler (1990) and Mary Doreen Williams (1983) with our replies written inline in the message.
We're glad to have helped and wish the family good luck with their further enquiries into the two historic deaths.
“Glad I could help you, best of luck with your further enquiries.”
I thank you for clarifying that the Medical Examiner Service holds no records from 1983 or 1990, and ask you to confirm my summary distinguishing records never held, possibly destroyed, or possibly surviving with a successor body or archive.
“distinguish clearly between records which were never held by the present organisation, records which once existed but have since been destroyed, and records which may survive with a successor body or archive”
Seen ✓ · answered 24 Aug 2026
I ask you to clarify that your confirmation only covers the current registration systems searched, not all historical hospital or South Glamorgan Health Authority records, which remain unsearched questions outside your office's remit.
“no records were found for William Buckler or Mary Doreen Williams on the specific current registration systems searched”
Seen ✓ · answered 24 Aug 2026
The family thanks the Health Board officer for the help given and closes the correspondence with good wishes.
Seen ✓ · answered 24 Aug 2026
The family sends a short thank-you message closing out the exchange with the Health Board.
Seen ✓ · answered 24 Aug 2026
We hold no records going back that far and say Data Protection would prevent release even if we did; we suggest contacting the registrars office in Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan instead.
“we do not hold ay records dating back this far and Data Protection would not allow us to release these either if they were held”
We confirm we would hold no records whatsoever and have no knowledge of either patient.
“We would not hold any records whatsoever or have any knowledge of these patients”
We send you the application form and cover letter needed to make an access-to-records request.
“Please see attached application form and cover letter for access to records requests”
We have forwarded your enquiry to another department better placed to help, who will contact you directly since the Medical Examiner Service cannot assist with this request.
“I have forwarded your email onto another department who may be able to assist you further”
We apologise and provide the contact details for NHS Wales Shared Services Partnership, who deal with such enquiries and may be able to point you in the right direction.
“This department deals with any concerns and enquiries and may be able to direct you in the correct direction”
I thank you for confirming the Medical Examiner Service holds no records and say I will follow the registrars' route, but ask whether other bodies, such as another NHS body, the coroner's service, or an archive, might hold medical certificates, coroner's referrals or hospital records for the two deaths.
“could you please clarify whether, in addition to the registration records, you would expect any historical records relating to these deaths”
Seen ✓ · answered 21 Aug 2026
I ask for an internal review of the conclusion that no records are held for William Buckler and Mary Doreen Williams, seeking confirmation that searches covered legacy, predecessor and coroner-related records, not just current Medical Examiner systems.
“whether an adequate search was undertaken before the conclusion was reached”
Seen ✓ · answered 21 Aug 2026
I ask whether any legacy records or referrals exist for two historical deaths: William Buckler, who died at Llandough Hospital around 29 May 1990, and Mary Doreen Williams, whose death was registered in March 1983 in South Glamorgan, and request direction to the right archive or department.
“Although these pre-date the current Medical Examiner Service, I would be grateful if you could advise whether any legacy records, referrals, or related documentation exist”
Seen ✓ · answered 21 Aug 2026
I request access to any health records held by the Health Board, including Llandough Hospital, for William Buckler, who died there around 29 May 1990, and Mary Doreen Williams, whose death was registered March 1983, under the Access to Health Records Act 1990 and/or FOIA, and ask about the application process and timescales.
“I am writing to request access to any health records held by Cardiff and Vale University Health Board”
Seen ✓ · answered 21 Aug 2026
Small print: dotted links explain a word (see the glossary); amber-shaded links list every name the records use for the same thing.
