Grieving families face death certificate delays

Funeral directors say people can start planning proceedings before death certificates are issued

Some grieving families in the south-west of England are having to wait several weeks to get a death certificate after a loved one has died.

The delay has been blamed on a new system for registering deaths which means doctors can no longer issue certificates independently.

The National Association of Funeral Directors said it could result in considerable delays of up to four weeks or more.

The government said the certification process was being changed to "enhance patient safety and offer clarity to grieving families".

Funeral director John Ware says delays have "big implications for the bereaved family"

The new process was introduced across England and Wales last September, partly in response to the Harold Shipman murders.

It requires a medical examiner to review each cause of death certificate completed by a doctor, and contact relatives to see if they have any questions or concerns before it is signed off.

John Ware, managing director of funeral directors Walter C Parson, told the BBC: "I would say four, five years ago we would be advising families it would take seven to 10 days for a funeral to be arranged from the point of death.

"We're probably looking at between three to four weeks on average, I would say.

"It has big implications for the bereaved family. Obviously closure is important for them and the funeral is a big part of the grieving process.

"Delaying that by any longer than it needs to be is becoming a big problem for families.

"We had a case recently where it was just over six weeks since somebody passed away, and my colleagues have been chasing up the coroner's office and the medical examiner to try and get the relevant paperwork that we need for that funeral to take place."

'Open communication'

While Devon is still experiencing delays, the situation has improved in Cornwall where deaths can be registered at any register office in the county.

In Devon, deaths have to be registered at the office in the area they occurred; Plymouth, Torbay or Exeter, for example.

The president of the Association of Funeral Directors in Cornwall, Ayesha Slader, said: "We're very lucky. We've got an open communication with the medical examiners. If we have any issues, we can call them and make sure we have things in place.

"If you have somewhere where the population is quite high and you've got a higher death rate, actually having more than one registration office for that area would be helpful, and I think that would really work to ease the pressures of the delays we're seeing."

In a statement, the Department of Health and Social Care said: "We understand that dealing with the death of a loved one is an incredibly difficult time for any family. That's why we've improved the death certification process to enhance patient safety and offer clarity to grieving families.

"The government expects deaths to be registered quickly and efficiently, and we're working with the NHS, faith groups, and the funeral sector to drive improvements and reduce delays where they exist."

John Ware said: "I think it's important to reassure people that they don't have to wait for the death certificate to be issued before they can start making funeral arrangements.

"We would really encourage people to make contact with their chosen funeral director as soon as possible after someone has passed away so that they can start planning."