Alleged false death certificate case to be investigated

The death of an 82-year-old woman at a major hospital will be investigated as part of a probe into a doctor's alleged falsification of 29 death certificates.

Tasmania's health department had argued the death of Margaret Joyce Binns at the Launceston General Hospital in 2020 was outside the coroner's authority.

In 2024, Mrs Binns' death was among 29 referred to the coroner for investigation following a review.

It was alleged the hospital's former head of medical services Peter Renshaw falsified death certificates, acted outside the law and signed off on patients he hadn't seen.

The health department argued Mrs Binns' death had been inaccurately categorised by the review as a death that should have been reported to the coroner.

But Coroner Leigh Mackey said Mrs Binns' case had the appearance of a death, one that is unexpected, unnatural, violent or from an accident, that fell within the coroner's jurisdiction.

The death was apparently unexpected and the cause of her subarachnoid haemorrhage remained unknown, Ms Mackey said.

Mrs Binns was taken to the hospital after falling in her kitchen and striking her head.

Her death was a natural consequence of subdural haematoma and subarachnoid haemorrhage, Ms Mackey said, but it was unclear whether they had been caused by the fall.

Ms Mackey added she may not have the power to make a formal comment on Mrs Binns' death.

The health department and lawyers for Dr Renshaw would be able to make submissions on that point at a later date, she said.

Coroners are in early stages of investigating the 29 deaths, which occurred between 2016 and 2022.

Dr Renshaw resigned from the health department after fronting a inquiry into child sexual abuse in Tasmanian government institutions that delivered its final report in 2023.

The inquiry found Dr Renshaw misled his superiors about information he received from police about a now-deceased pedophile who worked in the hospital's children's ward for 18 years.