10 September 2024The statutory medical examiners’ system and associated death certification reforms have, as of yesterday, come into effect. The government has laid a written ministerial statement outlining these changes, which can be found here.
Legislation
As part of this work, the following regulations have now come into effect:
- The Cremation, Coroners and Notification of Deaths (England and Wales) (Amendment) Regulations 2024
- The Medical Certificate of Cause of Death Regulations 2024
- The Medical Examiners (England) Regulations 2024
Guidance
Amended guidance and forms which you must now use have now been published here. This includes:
- Cremation guidance: Applicants
- Cremation guidance: Funeral Directors
- Cremation guidance: Cremation Authorities and Crematorium Managers
- Cremation guidance: Medical Referees
- Guidance for deaths which occurred in Scotland, Northern Ireland, the Isle of Man, or the Channel Islands but where the cremation takes place in England and Wales
Amended guidance for registered medical practitioners on the Notification of Deaths Regulations can also be found here.
In addition to this, click here for guidance to assist on transitional cases. The Guidance for crematorium Medical Referees on transitional provisions in the Cremation, Coroners and Notification of Deaths (Amendment) Regulations 2024 outlines which system (the pre-9 September system or post-9 September system) will apply to cases where a death occurred pre-9 September.
