In Times of Bereavement

In the unfortunate event that a person has passed away, there are three things that must be done in the first few days;

  • Verify the death and get a medical certificate:
    • For an expected death: If the person was ill, call their doctor or the NHS 111 service for a senior nurse to confirm the death and issue the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death (MCCD)
    • For an unexpected death: Call the emergency services (999) immediately to have the death verified by medical professionals.  A medical examiner may be involved if the death is not natural or the cause is unknown, which can delay the process.
    • In a hospital or care home: The staff will typically handle the verification and MCCD issuance.
  • Register the death within 5 days (inc weekends and bank holidays). You will then receive the necessary documents for the funeral.
  • Make the necessary funeral arrangements

Medical Examiner

The Medical Examiner Service has been introduced to examine all deaths in England and Wales that are not investigated by the coroner. The Medical Examiner is an independent senior doctor specially trained in death certification that has not been involved in the care of the deceased.

What does the Medical Examiner do?

They ensure that:

  • The information written on the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death (MCCD) is accurate
  • Deaths needing to go the coroner are made in a timely fashion to avoid delays
  • The bereaved have a chance to ask questions about the cause of death and reflect on the care provided
  • They scrutinise medical notes and speak with the treating doctor, who is often the GP, to discuss the deceased’s care and the cause of death
  • The Medical Examiner Office is staffed by a team of Medical Examiners, supported by Medical Examiner Officers

What can they help with?

The contents of the MCCD will be explained to you, and you will have a chance to ask any questions you may have regarding the care of the deceased or their last illness.

The Medical Examiner Office will be able to share any feedback to the healthcare provider. They can request a review of the notes or further investigations into the care provided to consider if there is any learning to improve the care of patients in the future.

The MCCD will not be issued until the cause of death has been reviewed by the ME Office or the Coroner’s Office.

Who will they contact me?

Before the MCCD is issued, you or another individual with an appropriate relationship to the deceased will receive a routine telephone call from the Medical Examiner Office.

There is no need to make contact yourself. If you would prefer that another person speak to the Medical Examiner Office, let the office know during the telephone call. You can decline to speak with the Medical Examiner Office if you want to.

Who can I contact if I haven’t spoken to a Medical Examiner?

The Medical Examiner Office will make reasonable attempts to contact the deceased’s Next of Kin or equivalent.

If you have any questions or concerns about the cause of death or the care provided and have not been able to speak with a Medical Examiner, please contact the Medical Examiner Office on 0117 414 0074 or email here

How long does the process take?

The Medical Examiner Office will make reasonable attempts to contact the deceased’s Next of Kin or equivalent.

If you have any questions or concerns about the cause of death or the care provided and have not been able to speak with a Medical Examiner, please contact the Medical Examiner Office on 0117 414 0074 or email:
nbn-tr.medicalexaminer@nhs.net

Will the process delay the funeral?

The Medical Examiner process should not cause any delays in registering the death or planning the funeral.

Medical Examiners work in conjunction with other services such as the coroner, the Register Office and funeral directors to ensure that every death receives the proper scrutiny without impacting on timelines irrespective of religious, cultural or family wishes.

Opening hours are Monday to Friday, 8:30am – 4:30pm

Register the death

If the death has been reported to the coroner (or Procurator Fiscal in Scotland) they must give permission before registering the death.

You can register the death if you are a relative, a witness to the death, a hospital administrator or the person making the arrangements with the funeral directors.

You can use the ‘Register a Death’ page on the gov.uk website that will guide you through the process. This will also explain the registration process for Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Arrange the funeral

The funeral can usually only take place after the death is registered. Most people use a funeral director, though you can arrange a funeral yourself.

Check if the person had a pre-paid funeral plan or insurance to help cover the costs

Choose a funeral director who’s a member of one of the following:
– National Association of Funeral Directors
– Society of Allied and Independent Funeral Directors

These organisations have codes of practice – they must give you a price list when asked.

Some local councils run their own funeral services, for example for non-religious burials. The British Humanist Association can also help with non-religious funerals.
Contact the Cemeteries and Crematorium Department of your local council to arrange a funeral yourself.
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Funeral costs

Funeral costs can include:
– funeral director fees
– things the funeral director pays for on your behalf (called ‘disbursements’ or ‘third-party costs’), for example, crematorium or cemetery fees, or a newspaper announcement about the death
– local authority burial or cremation fees

Funeral directors may list all these costs in their quotes.