If all of the conditions explained in report a death are met and no further investigation is needed, the Coroner will allow the doctor to complete a Death Notification Form (DNF).
This form includes the Medical Cause of Death and means the death can then be registered with the Registrar of Deaths.
A relative (or other eligible person) must get a Death Notification Form from the medical practitioner who saw and treated the deceased during their last illness.
The Death Notification Form is brought to the Registrar’s Office where the death is registered and the Death Certificate is issued.
If a death happens in a hospital, the death may be registered by a member of hospital staff.
The death certificate will be available from your local registrar’s office.
If a death requires further investigations you can find out what to do below.
If a death is considered unnatural, it cannot be certified by a doctor. A doctor cannot complete a Death Notification Form on behalf of another doctor.
Based on the information available the Coroner will decide if:
If a death is reported to the Coroner and it is the subject of a post mortem examination or inquest, the death will be registered when the Coroner issues his certificate after the post mortem or inquest.
You can apply for an Interim Death Certificate until the Coroner finds the cause of death and officially registers the death.