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The lengthy wait for a death certificate under the new certification system in England and Wales has added to the distress of bereaved families, according to one woman. Gemma Whysall’s father died unexpectedly on 17 December, but she has yet to receive clearance for his funeral seven weeks later. Under the new system, introduced on 9 September, all deaths must be independently reviewed, either by a coroner or a medical examiner, before certification is issued. GP’s no longer issue death certificates on their own, instead an independent medical examiner reviews their medical certificate of cause of death (MCCD).
Whysall commented: “By the time we are able to have a funeral, it will be seven weeks since he passed, and the process, for a family who’s grieving, has been terrible. In the absence of any real communication about the new process, we’ve just been sat waiting,” said Whysall. Funeral directors cannot engage in embalming or other treatments until a death is registered.
The NHS reviews all deaths, excluding those referred to a coroner. A spokesperson for the NHS Derby and Derbyshire Integrated Care Board said: “The change in legislation is still very new, and we are continuing to improve our process by appointing more medical examiners and ensuring seamless handover of information to ensure our part of the death certification process happens in a timely manner.”
Funeral director Darlene Kinton said delays in registering deaths left families unable to spend time with loved ones and has had a “massive impact” on the funeral industry. Guidance on the new legislation, set by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), states that medical examiners will offer bereaved family members a conversation about the cause of death
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