Confirming the cause of a death
Confirming the cause of death
The Medical Examiner Office is staffed by a team of senior doctors.
The Medical Examiner Office will:
- review the medical notes of the patient
- discuss the cause of death with the medical team in charge of the patient's care
- complete the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death (MCCD)
The MCCD must be completed before the death can be registered. This will:
- help make sure only appropriate cases will be referred to coroners
- allow bereaved families the chance to ask questions or raise concerns with the medical examiner
- help identify which parts of the process work well and which don't, allowing for improvements
Medical examiners and their staff will only review cases where they have not been directly involved in the care of the patient.
What to do after confirming the cause of death
After the death has been reviewed, you must register the death within 5 days with the registrar's office.
For more information, see Register a death.