How long for a death certificate?

[theheck]

Family member died a week ago today (19th march) we still haven't had the death certificate because 'there are no drs' they died in a hospital.

Is this normal?

I'm really concerned if I'm honest, we can't do anything without the death certificate.

Has anyone else had a long wait for a death certificate?

We're wales btw

So sorry for your loss.
Would the delay be anything to do with the strikes causing a backlog?

My mother died last November.
She died in hospital on the Monday and the paperwork was completed and the death certificate issued the following day. A doctor called me to go through the certificate and to make sure I understood and agreed with it all before it was electronically released to the registrar’s office.

I was then called by them the following morning to say they’d received it and was offered a same day appointment to register the death.

@MadisonAvenue thank you.

I'm not sure if the strike has made a difference. maybe? It's good to know it can go quickly when we do get the certificate.

Crazy isn't it?

Yes, the fact that it was all initially done by phone and I didn’t need to make an appointment to go to the hospital to collect a paper certificate really helped timewise.

Not sure if your family member had personal items at the hospital which you still need to collect but we were told that the ward could only keep my mother’s things for two weeks, obviously different wards and hospitals will have different policies but I thought I should mention it in case that’s something you still need to do.

Sorry for your loss.

My partners mum died in hospital in January, we were told 2 weeks before she passed that there was nothing more they could do so it was definitely expected. It took around a month to be able to register her death as there were so many delays with the coroner.

We expected it to be a quick thing as she was in hospital, but there was a massive backlog, then her secondary cause of death wasn't accepted so the doctor needed to sign something to say it was definitely that.

Once it was signed off it was relatively quick to get the certificate, I think just a few days to wait for an appointment.

@Scrooples thank you. I'm
Sorry for your loss too.

I feel like it's maybe because she looked shocking all week, we were convinced she was dying and asked to go to a hospice but the staff kept saying she was fine.

As in on Thursday she was prepped for discharge. Then on Sunday she passed away, apparently 3 hours after treatment was stopped but we weren't told about that.

Not to mention the fact that no one helped her eat or drink for days at a time. We've logged a formal complaint and will be going forward with legal action but this delay makes me feel like it's all pointing towards they're worried about neglect on the ward?

It's so hard. She was such a lovely person. She really doesnt deserve this in death, she absolutely didn't deserve to be treated so shockingly on a hospital ward. You expect better

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