New national system for death certification

A new statutory medical examiner system is being rolled out across England and Wales to provide independent scrutiny of deaths, to give bereaved people a voice and change the experiencing of registering a death.

From 9th September there will be increased roles and responsibilities for Medical Examiner Offices as all deaths in England and Wales will be reviewed by a coroner or an NHS medical examiner.

Under the new death certification system GPs in England and Wales who are notified of a patient death will need to work closely with medical examiners to allow them to independently scrutinise deaths not referred to a coroner.

The Medical Examiner Office will be the point of contact for bereaved families, answering any questions they may have and allowing them to raise concerns with an independent senior doctor who is trained in the legal and clinical elements of the death certification process.

For more information, please visit the links below:

• The National Medical Examiner System – NHS England
• What to do after death – Surrey County Council
• Death Certification Reform: Health and Social Care Act 2022
• Death and Bereavement – GOV.uk

Published on 4 September 2024