6. Dealing with the Coroner (if applicable

A Coroner is a government official who must investigate some but not all deaths. Coroners are usually lawyers who work within a framework of law passed by Parliament.

In certain circumstances, there is a legal requirement to inform the Coroner of a person’s death. For example, • If a patient dies having had a fall or an accident • If the death was sudden and unexpected • If they had a recent operation • If there is a possibility of it being an unnatural death If there is a need to contact the Coroner, the Coroner will then decide if the GP can issue the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death, hold an inquest based on the information available from medical investigations or whether a postmortem is needed. If the Coroner requests a post-mortem, your permission is not required.

You may then contact the Coroner’s Officers at the mortuary on 01392 225684 for further information. The office is open Monday to Friday 9.00am to 4.00pm.

If a post-mortem is needed, the Coroner will issue a certificate to the Registrar once the cause of death has been established and enquiries are complete. It will be necessary to telephone the registrar in the first instance to ensure that the necessary paperwork has been received from the coroner prior to making an appointment to register the death. Please let your funeral director know if a post-mortem is being arranged.

If a post-mortem is not needed, the Coroner will inform the GP that the medical certificate can be issued.

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