Deaths with cancer (FOI)

Request 

Over the last 10 years broken down annually how many people have died WITH cancer. I have specifically used the word with and not from. So for example if somebody had been diagnosed with cancer at any time in their life if but committed suicide or or got ran over by a bus they should be included in this list.

Response

The 'Cause of Death' section on a death registration consists of 4 sections (1a, 1b, 1c and 2) for conditions which together present a narrative of the person's state of health at the point of their death. This is provided so as to give comprehensive details of the conditions that lead to a person's death.

Only those conditions which caused the death are included. Any condition which a person is suffering with at the time of their death but did not cause the death is not included.

The cause of death for those cases which are investigated by the Viscount's Department in its capacity as coroner and subject to an Inquest is provided as a 'Finding of Inquest' narrative and includes information relating to the cause of a person's death and any other pertinent information relating to the death.

Illness or disease suffered by a person in life which did not cause or contribute to the death is therefore not recorded on a death registration.

Therefore, the information required to answer this request is not held and Article 10 of the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011 applies.

Article applied

Article 10  - Obligation of scheduled public authority to confirm or deny holding information.

(1) Subject to paragraph (2), if –

(a)  a person makes a request for information to a scheduled public authority; and
(b)  the authority does not hold the information,

it must inform the applicant accordingly.