Regulating doctors, ensuring good medical practice

End of life care: Certification, post-mortems and referral to a coroner or procurator fiscal

  1. 85. You must be professional and compassionate when confirming and pronouncing death and must follow the law, and statutory codes of practice, governing completion of death and cremation certificates.xix  If it is your responsibility to sign a death or cremation certificate, you should do so without unnecessary delay. If there is any information on the death certificate that those close to the patient may not know about, may not understand or may find distressing, you should explain it to them sensitively and answer their questionsxx, taking account of the patient’s wishes if they are known.
  2. 86. You must comply with the legal requirements where you work for reporting deaths to a coroner (England, Wales and Northern Ireland) or procurator fiscal (Scotland). You should be prepared to answer questions from those close to the patient about reporting procedures and post-mortems, or to suggest other sources of information and advice.xxi
  3. 87. You must treat the patient’s body with dignity and respect. You should make sure, wherever possible, that the body is handled in line with their personal religious or other beliefs.

References

xix Information and guidance on the statutory requirements for completing death and cremation certificates is available from a number of sources including: Office for National Statistics Guidance for doctors completing Medical Certificates of Cause of Death in England and Wales (pdf); Ministry of Justice Cremation Regulations Guidance for doctors (2008); Scottish Guidance on completion of medical certificates of the cause of death (Sep 2009). Northern Ireland Guidance on death, stillbirth and cremation certification and information for families Registering a death; The Scottish Government Accurate Recording of Deaths from Healthcare Associated Infection and Action (2011).

xx Comprehensive information for professionals and parents about certifying the death of a baby can be found in Pregnancy, loss and the death of a baby by SANDS, the stillbirth and neonatal death charity. Guidance to support practitioners in speaking to a patient’s family is also available from a range of organisations, including the General Register Offices.

xxi Human Tissue Authority Code of practice 3: Post-mortem examination. The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (Scotland) advice on post-mortems. Ministry of Justice A guide to coroners and inquests (Jan 2010); The Scottish Government Accurate Recording of Deaths from Healthcare Associated Infection and Action (2011).

Download the guidance