Medical Examiners Service Please accept our deepest condolences following the death of your loved one, as with all deaths within a community ward we will make a referral to the Medical Examiner who will review the details of care leading up to your loved one’s death.
Who are medical examiners and medical examiner officers, and what do they do? Medical examiners are senior NHS doctors who, after completing specialist training work part time in this role. Their job is to give an independent view on causes of death and the care provided (except for deaths which must be investigated by a coroner). Medical examiners and their staff (usually called medical examiner officers) offer families and carers of the person who died an opportunity to ask questions or raise concerns about the causes of death, or about the care the person received before their death. This will usually be through a telephone call, or sometimes a meeting. They can explain what medical language means and make it easier to understand what happened. Medical examiners also look at relevant medical records and discuss the causes of death with the doctor who is completing the official form (known as the ‘Medical Certificate of Cause of Death’). You can be confident medical examiners and medical examiner officers will provide an independent view.
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Coroners Some deaths are notified to a coroner, who may decide to carry out their own independent investigation. More information can be found on the following website:
Notification of Deaths Regulations 2019 guidance
Gov.uk - Notification of Deaths Regulations 2019 guidance You can also request information in other formats by emailing the Ministry of Justice at coroners@justice.gov.uk. The medical examiner may sometimes give the coroner medical advice in these cases, but coroners lead these investigations. The Medical Examiner’s Office will be able to support you if coroner involvement is required. CONTINUED OVERLEAF
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