Implementing the medical examiner system: National Medical Examiner’s good practice guidelines (NHS, January 2020)

Summary

When a loved one dies, any delay in the registration or release of a deceased patient’s body can be distressing for the bereaved. The medical examiner system is being introduced in England and Wales to provide bereaved families with greater transparency and opportunities to raise concerns, improve the quality and accuracy of medical certification of cause of death, and ensure referrals to coroners are appropriate. These good practice guidelines set out how the National Medical Examiner expects medical examiner offices to operate during the non-statutory phase of the programme.

Content

The guideline cover the following topics:

• Setting up medical examiner offices
• What do medical examiner and medical examiner officers do?
• Who can be a medical examiner/medical examiner officer?
• What requirements should be in job descriptions?
• What training will medical examiners and medical examiner officers require?
• How should medical examiners escalate concerns?
• Principles for medical examiners
• Operational requirments and ways of working
• Working with coroners and registration services
• Process