NHS Kingston Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
What happens with the Medical Cause of Death Certificate (MCCD) when someone dies? Due to the current pandemic, there has been a change to the way in which deaths are now registered. When someone dies at Kingston Hospital, you currently do not need to collect the MCCD from the Bereavement Office or take it to the Register Office, as per the booklet. Once the MCCD has been completed and you have received a call from the Medical Examiner, the Bereavement Officer will call and advise you that they will now be electronically sending the MCCD to the Register Office. Once received, the Register Office will call you to organise a telephone appointment to register the death by phone. Once funeral directors have been appointed, please advise the Register Office and the Bereavement Officer. The registrars will send the green form to the Funeral Directors and the Bereavement Officer will complete the release form on your behalf. Please call the Bereavement Office as soon as you feel able to on 020 8934 3355 and we will take your details and advise further.
The Medical Examiner system at Kingston Hospital Foundation Trust Who are our Medical Examiners and Medical Examiner Officer?
Since 2019, some NHS consultants have chosen to receive specialist training and to spend some of their time working as Medical Examiners. Alongside a Medical Examiner Officer, their job is to give independent advice about what caused somebody’s death (except for deaths which have to be reviewed by the coroner). Medical Examiners and Medical Examiner Officers look at medical records and discuss the cause of death with the medical team on the ward who looked after the patient. Medical Examiners and Medical Examiner Officers offer families and carers of the person who has died an opportunity to raise questions or concerns about the causes of death, or about the care the person received in hospital before their death. This will usually be through a telephone call. They can explain what medical terms mean and make it easier to understand. You can be confident Medical Examiners will provide an independent view as they will only deal with those deaths of people that they themselves did not care for during their stay in hospital.
Coroners
Over the next few months some cases will be reviewed by the Medical Examiner - a senior doctor who was not involved in the patient’s care. This is a new system being introduced nationwide to improve the quality of death certification. They will review the notes and discuss the case with the ward doctor before the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death (MCCD) is written. They may also telephone you during this process. One of our team will call you once the MCCD is ready, they will talk to you about the cause of
NHS Kingston Hospital NHS Foundation Trust death. If they are not able to answer your questions they will ask a doctor to call you back. (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/notification-of-deaths-regulations-2019-guidance).
Why am I being asked whether I have any concerns about care?
A discussion with a Medical Examiner or Medical Examiner Officer provides you with an opportunity to have an open and honest conversation with someone who was not involved in providing care to the person who died, and anything about the care that may be worrying or of concern. It could be as simple as helping you to understand more about the treatment and causes of death or to understand the medical language used, or there may be something about the care which did not feel right or ideal. This is an opportunity to ask questions and raise concerns. If the Medical Examiner or Medical Examiner Officer finds issues with care that need further investigation, they will refer these to someone who can do this. As well as answering your questions, this can help the NHS provide better care for other patients and carers in future and we welcome all your feedback!
Can I ask the Medical Examiner or Medical Examiner Officer to talk to someone else if it is too difficult for me to speak with them?
Yes of course - the Medical Examiner or Medical Examiner Officer may contact you to ask who you would like us to talk to instead, or you can let the medical team know if you would rather have someone else as a first point of contact.
What questions will I be asked?
The Medical Examiner or Medical Examiner Officer will explain what is written on the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death and will ask if you have any questions or concerns. They will also ask if there are any concerns or questions about the care the person received before their death. This is the best time for you to ask questions you have about the death and to speak about anything that concerns you.
What if I don’t want to speak to the Medical Examiner or Medical Examiner Officer, or I don’t want to tell them about my concerns?
We understand this is likely to be a difficult time for many people, speaking to someone is completely your choice. If you are not sure, you can contact the Medical Examiner or Medical Examiner Officer on telephone number 020 89342645 and ask for more information before deciding if you want to go ahead. They are trained to help people during these difficult times and will be very understanding.
Will funeral plans or release of the body take longer?
Medical Examiners and Medical Examiner Officers make every effort to avoid delays. They will try to be flexible, for example where relatives need access to the body, or release of the body quickly.
You can contact the Medical Examiner Office here: Telephone: 020 8934 2645 Email: khft.medicalexaminers@nhs.net Opening hours: Monday - Friday, 8am - 4pm
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