The Coroner may
become involved to establish the cause of a death and the
circumstances surrounding it before the matter can be
registered.
The Coroner's Service will
investigate sudden or unexplained deaths, deaths which may be
linked to the deceased's occupation or which did not have a natural
cause. The registrar may have to involve the Coroner in a
range of circumstances.
If you are collecting a
Medical Certificate Cause of Death (often referred to as the 'Death
Certificate') from a doctor or hospital before registering
a death, you will need to know whether there has been any
contact between the doctor and the Coroner's Service. The
register office will need to know this when you telephone to make
an appointment so that time can be allowed for the necessary
paperwork. Your funeral director will also need to know.
If no doctor is able to
certify a death, or where the cause of death is uncertain, the
coroner may be able to provide the necessary information so that
the death can be registered.
Once aware of the death, the
coroner may determine that there is no need for further
investigation and the death can be registered from the doctor's
certificate or 'uncertified' using information given to the
registrar by the coroner.
Alternatively, the coroner
may order a post mortem examination to determine the cause of death
or he may open an inquest.
Most contact with the
Coroner's Service is through a coroner's officer who will
liaise with the bereaved and others following a death. They will
normally be able to advise what steps are being taken by the
coroner in connection with the death.
The contact details for The
Coroners Service are:
Tel: 01275 461 920
Fax: 01275 462 749
Address: The Coroners Service for the District of Avon, Coroner's
Court, Old Weston Road, Flax Bourton, BS48 1UL.
The registration
service will be happy to make enquiries on your behalf if
you are unsure about the coroner's involvement.
For more information visit
The Coroners’ Society of
England and Wales website.
