Obtain a Medical Certificate of Cause of Death (MCCD)
  • The GP or hospital physician who was treating the deceased prior to their death needs to confirm the cause of death.
  • The GP or the Hospital Bereavement Services Department will issue the correctly filled out MCCD.
  • The Medical Certificate shows the cause of death (no charge).
  • It is important this certificate is properly and fully completed (clear cause of death, when last seen the deceased, General Medical Council number), otherwise it will cause delay in getting the death registered.
  • The fully completed and legible Medical Certificate has to be forwarded electronically to the appropriate Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages.
Death certification by doctors
  • A licensed qualified medical practitioner should not sign a Medical Certificate as to the Cause of Death (MCCD) in respect of a death from wholly natural causes unless he or she:
    • Has attended (this means not just seen but treated and/or assessed) the patient in and for the patient's last illness and
    • Has seen the person within 28 days before the death or has seen the body after death and
    • Is satisfied as to the cause of death and
    • Is satisfied that the death is wholly from natural causes and
    • Is satisfied that the death is not otherwise reportable to the Coroner.
  • In all other cases/situations the death must be reported to the Coroner (see Coroner – reportable deaths section).
  • Note: Without the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death (MCCD), the death cannot be registered and the funeral cannot take place.