Swan Suite Bereavement Service - Rochdale - Rochdale Infirmary

The Bereavement Officer will need to confirm your name, relationship to the patient and up to date contact details.

They will also provide you approximate timescales, as to how long the process may take.

Medical Examiner 

The Medical Examiner (ME) service ensures that all adult and child deaths (unless reportable to the Coroner) are reviewed.

A Medical Examiner is a senior doctor who independently reviews your loved one’s medical records and cause of death. They make sure the information on the Medical Cause of Death Certificate (MCCD) is accurate.

The Medical Examiner will discuss the review with both the medical team and the bereaved family.

When contacted, you will have the opportunity to ask questions, express concerns, or provide feedback.

Medical Certificate Cause of Death.

This will be completed as quickly as possible, once the Medical Examiner review has been completed.

You will not need to attend the Bereavement Office for a face-to-face appointment, all documentation required, is issued electronically direct to the appropriate Register Office.

Once received by the Register Office, they will call you direct and make an appointment for you to attend to complete the formal death registration.

Death Certificates can be purchased during your appointment, and the Certificate for Burial or Cremation (green) can be emailed direct to your nominated Funeral Director.

The Role of HM Coroner

If a death is reported to a Coroner, the documents you need to register the death may be different. On referral to the Coroner, your loved one will be allocated to a Coroner’s Officer. This person will be a point of contact for the next of kin; they will talk you through and explain the process. At this point, the Coroner’s responsibility is to decide one of the following:

That the cause of death is natural

If the Coroner decides that the cause of death is natural:

• The referral will be returned to the Medical Examiner.
• The Medical Examiner will contact the next of kin to explain the next steps.

That a post-mortem is needed

The Coroner may decide a full body scan or a post-mortem is required to find out how the person died. This can be done either in a hospital or a mortuary.

If the Coroner decides a post-mortem is required, you cannot object to a Coroner’s post-mortem. The Coroner will let you know when your loved one can be transferred to the funeral directors.

To hold an inquest

A Coroner must hold an inquest if:

• The doctors don't know why a person has died.
• The person might have died a violent or unnatural death.
• The person might have died in prison or police custody.

If the Coroner holds an inquest

The Coroner will usually issue an interim death certificate to register the death and allow for funeral arrangements to be made.

On referral to the Coroner, a Coroner’s Officer will be allocated to support you. This person will be a point of contact for the next of kin; they will talk you through and explain the process and next steps.

After the inquest has concluded, you will receive the final death certificate from the Registrar. Please do not worry; you will be supported and guided through the process.