It is a legal requirement that all deaths should be registered as soon as possible but preferably within 5 days (unless the death has been reported to the coroner).
From Monday 9 September 2024, the way deaths are registered is changing. Please be aware of the following changes.
From this date:
- All deaths must have extra scrutiny from the Medical Examiner’s Office (MEO).
- Registrars cannot register a death until the medical cause of death certificate (MCCD) has been signed by the MEO, after being signed by a doctor who attended the patient in their last illness.
- Families will need to liaise with the MEO directly. The Register Office can no longer chase GP surgeries, coroners or hospitals.
- Referrals to the coroner must now be done by the MEO or the attending practitioner who issued the MCCD.
- If referred to the coroner, then the coroner is expected to issue the burial or cremation forms
- All deaths that occurred on or before 8 September with an MCCD signed before this date, will not be subject to the new requirements.
Changes to the Out of Hours Service
The Medical Examiners Office (MEO) will have its own out-of-hours opening hours. It will be open 8 to 11am on Saturdays, Sundays and Bank Holidays.
From 9 September 2024, the council’s emergency burial certificate service will run from 9.30am to 12.30pm on Saturdays, Sundays and Bank Holidays. This change is due to new laws. We cannot issue an emergency burial certificate without the MEO’s signature. If the urgent burial has been referred to the coroner for investigation, it is expected in legislation that the coroner issues this burial form.
More detailed information may be found via the NHS and gov.uk.
