Posted: September 28, 2024

A new statutory medical examiner system is being rolled out across England and Wales to provide independent scrutiny of deaths, and to give bereaved people a voice. Which will be effective from 9 September 2024 all deaths in any health setting that are not investigated by a coroner will be reviewed by NHS medical examiners.

The changes, which form part of the Department of Health’s Death Certification Reforms, were announced by the government on 15 April 2024, and come into force on 9 September 2024.

As part of the changes, there will be a new medical certificate of cause of death (MCCD). From 9 September 2024, medical practitioners will be able to complete an MCCD if they attended the deceased in their lifetime.

This represents a simplification of the current rules, which before 9 September require referral of the case to a coroner for review if the medical practitioner had not seen the patient within the 28 days prior to death or had not seen in person the patient after death.

Regional support

Each NHS region has regional medical examiner and a regional medical examiner officer to support medical examiner offices. Regional medical examiners oversee the provision of services and provide an independent line of advice and accountability for medical examiners at trusts in their region.

Contact details for medical examiner offices in England and Wales