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Medical Examiners: Death Certificates

Answer

The National Medical Examiner (NME) Annual Report for 2025 has assessed the potential impact of medical examiner scrutiny on the completion of Medical Certificates of Cause of Death (MCCDs). The typical time to register deaths is seven to eight days, compared to six to seven days under the previous arrangements which offered significantly less assurance and required next of kin to register deaths more quickly.

The NHS England and NHS Wales Shared Services Partnership monitor the work of medical examiner offices, including the time taken, though the integrity of scrutiny. Between October and December 2025, 105 medical examiner offices in England, or 84%, reported a median time of five days or fewer to send MCCDs to registrars after a death. More than a third reported a median time of three days or fewer.

The Office of National Statistics (ONS) published an interim report on the death certification reforms in October 2025 which noted there had been a general downward trend in the overall median time throughout 2025, and it is now closer to pre-death certification reform levels. A further full ONS report is expected to be produced by the end of 2026.

The NME has oversight of the medical examiner system and regularly reviews performance of individual offices through regional medical examiners who provide support and challenge.

The NME report for 2025 sets out priorities for further improvement and a commitment to identify and reduce or eliminate avoidable delays to death certification without compromising the integrity of independent medical examiner scrutiny.

The NME report has also assessed the potential impact of delays on bereaved families and funeral arrangements, concluding that all those involved in certification and registration must continue to work together to avoid causing unnecessary delay and distress to bereaved families.

The bereaved are at the heart of the death certification reforms. The NME report demonstrates the commitment to provide a better service for the bereaved, reporting that where bereaved people request more rapid registration of deaths, to avoid unnecessary distress for bereaved families, medical examiner offices were able to facilitate 90% of these requests for rapid scrutiny.

Feedback received by medical examiner offices, and presented in the NME report, from the bereaved on the medical examiner process continues to be overwhelmingly positive, noting the compassion shown by medical examiners and officers and the comfort and reassurance they provide.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

15550

Session

2026-27

Grouped for answer

Yes

Subjects

Standards Death certificates Medical examiners

Link

View this Written question on www.parliament.uk