All deaths in England and Wales must be discussed with a Medical Examiner (ME) or referred to the coroner.
Medical Examiners are senior doctors from a range of specialities including General Practice, who provide an independent review of deaths.
The Medical Examiner will:
- speak to the referring doctor to establish if a Medical Certificate Cause of Death Certificate (MCCD) can be written or if a coroner’s referral is required
- review the relevant medical notes to look for possible points of learning
- speak to the next of kin to explain what is written on the MCCD, answer any questions and listen to any feedback regarding their care.
Any information obtained or suggestions for more in depth review will be passed on to the relevant clinical teams.
The Medical Examiner team will then sign the MCCD and forward it to the Registration service so that the family can register the death.
Process following after a death
Following a death in hospital
Musgrove Park Hospital and Yeovil Hospital
Families will be given a bereavement pack by the ward.
Families are advised to contact the Bereavement Office after 10am the next working day following the death, or after 11am after a bank holiday.
Musgrove Park Hospital 01823 343753
Yeovil Hospital 01935 384746
The bereavement office staff will then guide families through the next steps.
Please note – during our call we will not ask for any personal financial details of either the deceased or the Next of Kin.
They will contact the medical team to request that they attend the bereavement office to complete a Medical Cause of Death Certificate (MCCD) or make a coroner’s referral if applicable. The reasons for this will be discussed with you.
The Doctor will then attend and discuss with the Medical Examiner regarding completion of the MCCD. The family will also be contacted by the ME service and once written the MCCD will be emailed to the Somerset Registration Office.
The bereavement office staff will explain the process of registering a death which is done in person at a local registration office in the Somerset area.
Community Hospitals and Mental Health Inpatient Hospitals
Families will be given a bereavement pack by the ward.
Families are advised to contact the Yeovil Hospital Bereavement Office after 10am the next working day following the death, or after 11am after a bank holiday.
This will follow a similar pattern to above but will be dealt with by Yeovil Hospital Bereavement Team.
Following a death in the Community (at home or in a care home)
GP practices are made aware of a patient’s death by families, district nursing teams or ambulance staff.
Relatives should contact their GP surgery to discuss next steps.
An appropriate GP will either complete a referral to the Somerset Medical Examiner Service (SMES) or make a coroner’s referral if appropriate. The reasons for this will be discussed with you.
If referred to Somerset Medical Examiner Service, a Medical Examiner will provide an independent review and authorise the GP to complete the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death (MCCD). A trained Medical Examiner Officer will then call the Next of Kin to explain the cause of death and the process of registering a death. Once the MCCD is written by the GP this is then emailed to the Somerset Medical Examiner Service who will process and email on to the relevant Registration Office.
Deaths requiring urgent release of the deceased
All teams involved in bereavement processes understand that urgent release of the body may be required for faith/cultural reasons. We will make every effort to avoid any delays and enable prompt death registration and body release. The ME service will accept referrals on the weekend and bank holidays mornings in order to facilitate this if it is possible.
For further information, please visit the Medical Examiner Service.
Useful resources
BereaveGuide - free support after a death
When someone you love dies, it can be hard to know what to do next.
BereaveGuide is a free online tool that gives clear, step-by-step support on the practical tasks after a death. It helps you understand what you need to do, when to do it, and where to get support.
BereaveGuide can provide guidance with:
- registering a death
- letting organisations know someone has died
- managing legal and financial matters
- finding bereavement and emotional support.
The information is tailored to your situation and follows UK laws.
Families whose loved one has died while in the care of Somerset NHS Foundation Trust will receive information about BereaveGuide in their bereavement pack.
How BereaveGuide can help
BereaveGuide aims to:
- make practical tasks easier to understand
- reduce stress and uncertainty
- help people access support services
- bring useful information together in one place
- provide guidance that matches individual needs.
BereaveGuide is free to use and available to anyone who has been bereaved.