Medical Examiners and Death Certification Reform
Monday 9th September 2024 marks the first major reform to the way that deaths are scrutinised for more than a generation. But what exactly does this mean and how or why might this affect you?
If you have previously experienced the death of a family member or friend, you may recall the process and paperwork that immediately follows, be it an expected or sadly unexpected death, the process won’t be quite the same as you’ve experienced before.
Most of this work goes ahead automatically and as your funeral director, we will remain in touch with the Medical Examiner’s office on your behalf to ensure that the process is as efficient as possible.
As the representative of the person who has died (normally a family member or close friend) you need to be aware that in the event of an expected death, the process now means –
- You will be contacted by a Medical Examiner’s Officer to discuss the circumstances of the person’s death. This is normal and not a cause for concern.
- You will be contacted by the Registars’ office to make an appointment to register the death.
- You may be asked who your chosen funeral director is by the Medical Examiner’s Officer or the Registrar so that they can email forms to us.
- You can proceed with the funeral arrangements (whether the ceremony is followed by a burial or a cremation) once the Registrar’s Certificate for Burial or Cremation (a green coloured form) has been issued once the death is registered.
If the person’s death was sudden or unexpected, or the cause of death is unclear, it will be referred to HM Coroner, as was previously the case.
As your funeral director we will support you with all aspects of this process every step of the way and are on hand to answer any questions you may have.
For further details about the changes being implemented, please download our PDF guide.
