Referred to the Coroner
Sometimes a death must be reported to the coroner before the doctor can issue the Medical Certificate required by the registrar. The reasons vary, but most likely is that the death was unexpected and a doctor may not be certain of the cause. For instance the following cases would be reported to the coroner:
Once a death has been reported to the coroner, the death cannot be registered until the coroner has decided whether any further investigation is needed. Sometimes the coroner will give the doctor permission to issue the Medial Certificate and you can register in the normal way. However, if the coroner decides to take over, the procedures will vary greatly depending on the circumstance of death. We strongly suggest you contact us at an early stage and we will guide you through the process.
- Where there is no doctor who can issue a medical certificate of cause of death
- When the deceased was not seen by a doctor within 14 days before death
- Where the cause of death is unknown by the doctor
- Where the cause of death is believed to be unnatural or suspicious
- Where the death occurred during an operation, or before recovery from an anaesthetic
- Where the death is due to industrial disease or industrial poisoning
Once a death has been reported to the coroner, the death cannot be registered until the coroner has decided whether any further investigation is needed. Sometimes the coroner will give the doctor permission to issue the Medial Certificate and you can register in the normal way. However, if the coroner decides to take over, the procedures will vary greatly depending on the circumstance of death. We strongly suggest you contact us at an early stage and we will guide you through the process.