Medical examiners service
Who are medical examiners and medical examiner officers?
Since 2019 senior NHS doctors have had the opportunity to receive specialist training and spend some of their time working as medical examiners. Alongside other specially trained staff, their job is to give independent advice into causes of deaths - except for deaths which have to be reviewed by a coroner.
Medical examiners and their staff (usually called medical examiner officers) offer families and carers an opportunity to raise questions or concerns about the cause of death of a loved one or about the care they received beforehand. This will usually be done over a telephone call or sometimes a meeting is offered.
They can help explain medical language to make it easier to understand. Medical examiners also look at the relevant medical records and discuss the causes of death with the doctor filling in the official form - this is called the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death.
You can be confident medical examiners and their staff provide an independent view as they are only assigned to cases if they or their staff have not been involved in the care for the patient.
Coroners
When the coroner starts an investigation, he or she will investigate the death independently - although the medical examiner may still provide expert medical advice to the coroner.
Some deaths must be notified to the coroner – you can find out more about this here.
You can also access the guidance in other formats by emailing the Ministry of Justice (government department responsible for the guidance):
Why am I being asked if I have any concerns?
A discussion with a medical examiner or their staff provides you with an opportunity to have an open and honest conversation and address any worries or concerns with someone who was not involved in providing care to the person who died
It could be as simple as helping you to understand more about the treatment and cause/s of death or to understand the medical language used. There may be something about the care which you think did not feel right - this is an opportunity to ask questions.
The medical examiner will provide an independent view of causes of death and the care provided. Medical examiners and their staff will discuss your thoughts, questions and concerns and if they find issues with care that need further investigation will refer these on.
As well as answering your questions this can help us to provide better care for patients, their families and carers by recognising ways in which care can be improved in the future.
Can I nominate someone else to talk if it’s too difficult for me?
Yes, the medical examiner or their staff may contact you to ask who you would like us to talk to instead or you can let the medical team know if you would rather appoint someone else as a first point of contact.
The medical examiner or their staff office will usually contact you by phone before you collect the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death, however, we can make other arrangements if you let us know.
What questions will I be asked?
The medical examiner or their staff will explain what is written on the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death and what it means and will ask if you have any questions or concerns.
They will also discuss the medical examiner’s review and ask if there are any concerns or questions about the care the person received before their death. This is the best time for you to raise questions and speak about anything that concerns you.
What if I don’t want to speak to the medical examiner or their staff or I don’t want to tell them about my concerns?
Medical examiners are independent so we would like you to speak to them or their staff if possible. They will help explain things to you and are specially trained to answer your questions.
However, we understand this is a difficult time for many people and so speaking to someone is completely your choice. If you are not sure, you can contact the medical examiner or their staff on:
They can give you more information which will help you decide if you want to go ahead – they are specially trained to help people during difficult times and will be very understanding and supportive of your wishes.
If medical examiners find any potential issues, they will be able to raise these with people responsible for the care of the person who died or refer the issues on to someone who can investigate further.
Speaking with the medical examiner and their staff can help improve the care provided by the NHS to other patients and carers in future.
What will happen if something was not right?
The medical examiner and their staff are here to listen to your questions and concerns, provide answers if possible and, if necessary, pass them on to someone who can investigate further.
Medical examiners will not investigate further themselves, as they must complete their work within set time limits for the death certification process.
Will funeral plans or release of the body take longer?
We make every effort to avoid any delays and work with families and carers to meet the legal requirements for registering deaths.
Medical examiners and their staff will try to be flexible, for example where relatives need access to the body or release of the body quickly.
What can I do if I have questions or concerns about the medical examiner process?
If you are not satisfied with the medical examiner’s advice, we suggest you discuss this with staff from the medical examiner’s office in the first instance. If you are still not satisfied, you can contact either:
PALS team
Bereavement care team
How can I contact the medical examiner office?
You can contact the medical examiner office either by phone or email:
The opening hours are 8:30am to 4:30pm Monday to Friday. You can also ask the bereavement service to contact the medical examiner office on your behalf.