The Coroner

If a death is reported to a coroner, the coroner’s office will investigate to decide what further action is necessary. Below is an outline of when a doctor may report a death, what can happen next and where to get support.

A doctor may report the death if any of the following apply:

• Cause of death is unknown
• Death was violent or unnatural
• Death was sudden and unexplained
• Person who died was not visited by a medical practitioner during their final illness
• Medical certificate isn’t available
• Person who died wasn’t seen by the doctor who signed the medical certificate within 14 days before death or after they died
• Death occurred during an operation or before the person came out of anaesthetic
• Medical certificate suggests the death may have been caused by an industrial disease or industrial poisoning

If the coroner is satisfied the cause of death is clear, the process is usually:

1. The doctor signs the medical certificate.
2. You take the medical certificate to the registrar.
3. The coroner issues a certificate to the registrar stating a post-mortem isn’t needed.

If the coroner decides a post-mortem is needed it will be carried out in a hospital or a mortuary.

You cannot object to a coroner’s post-mortem, but if you have asked the coroner should tell you (and the person’s GP) when and where the examination will take place.

Once the coroner has completed necessary examinations the body can be released for funeral arrangements.

If the body is released with no inquest, the coroner will send a form (‘Pink Form 100B’) to the registrar stating the cause of death. If the body is to be cremated the coroner will also send a ‘Certificate of Coroner – form Cremation 6’.

A coroner must hold an inquest if:

• the cause of death is still unknown
• the person might have died a violent or unnatural death
• the person might have died in prison or police custody

During an inquest you may need an interim death certificate so you can notify authorities or apply for probate. Ask the coroner for an interim death certificate while the inquest is ongoing.

To report a death to more than one government organisation at once:

1. Ask the coroner for the interim death certificate.
2. Find a registrar.
3. The registrar will either help you report the death or give you a unique reference number. Use this number to report the death using the Tell Us Once service.

After the inquest the coroner will confirm the cause of death to the registrar and the registrar will register the death. You can then ask the registrar for a death certificate.

This process can be stressful. Work with one of our operatives to get this done, or get free independent support from The Coroners’ Courts Support Service.