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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Has anyone struggled getting a Death Certificate from GP

49 replies

FiveShelties · 17/05/2023 18:48

Not really AIBU but looking for help please.

My Mum died on Sunday morning after being on 'End of Life Care' for three days. The GP surgery told me on Monday that there was no-one available to issue Death Certificate but would be done Tuesday. Tuesday I was told that GP is on holiday and back on Thursday and they would try to get document issued Wednesday. Wednesday I am told it will not be done until Thursday morning. There are five GPs at the surgery.

I live in NZ and have a flight booked home, funeral booked for next Tuesday which has now had to be cancelled and moved to next Friday. I cannot do anything without the certificate but the GP surgery do not seem to care one bit. I understand I have only 5 days to register a death and worried that I may breach that.

All advice very gratefully received.

OP posts:

BlueBell50 · 17/05/2023 20:32

Interim death certificates are issued by the coroner’s office when they are undertaking investigations possibly leading to an inquest. They are not issued by the Register Office. Don’t worry about the 5 days, that is the Register Office problem not yours. I do hope that you manage to get GP to issue certificate soon.

Original poster

FiveShelties · 17/05/2023 20:33

I am probably so impatient as I do not live here and the last few weeks have been pretty grim. One minute I was sourcing a Residential Care Home and visiting around 30 homes and then I was being asked whether or not I wanted her to be on an end of life plan.

And the other thing is that I have absolutely no patience normally!

OP posts:

Soontobe60 · 17/05/2023 20:37

FiveShelties · 17/05/2023 18:53

Everyone I have spoken to has said they got the certificate the day or death or the day after.

It took 10 days to get my fathers, 7 for my MILs and 6 for my mothers. We were unable to book a funeral until we had them though so I’m not sure how you managed.

Creamcakeandrhinos · 17/05/2023 20:37

Sorry Op I meant the Coroners office not the Registrar.

LakieLady · 17/05/2023 20:39

When my DP died, there had to be a post mortem. As he died in hospital, they were able to certify the cause of death 3 days later, and the coroner wasn't involved.

Only then were we able to book the appointment to register the death, which was another week later. The funeral director was happy to book the crematorium once we had an appointment to register the death.

Even booking the crematorium 3 or 4 days after the death, the earliest date we could get was 16 days after DP died.

That was in Nov 2020, when there were a lot of Covid deaths, I would hope that the waiting times are a little quicker now.

The delays are awful, and the last thing you need at what is inevitably a harrowing time.

Original poster

FiveShelties · 17/05/2023 20:40

Soontobe60 · 17/05/2023 20:37

It took 10 days to get my fathers, 7 for my MILs and 6 for my mothers. We were unable to book a funeral until we had them though so I’m not sure how you managed.

Show quote history

Appears to be no problem to book a funeral - the problem is actually having the funeral. I have looked at quite a few FDs sites and they all say you can start planning immediately following a death.

OP posts:

TheBroadintheDaylight · 17/05/2023 20:41

Well, I reckon if there is any time in your life it is acceptable to feel impatient, it is this time now OP. And that goes for every other strong feeling you may encounter too. It’s a horrible, horrible time and you are entirely justified. All the unmumsnetty hugs to you.

Timetoswitch · 17/05/2023 20:44

We’ve got the funeral booked in too, fortunately a few weeks away.

To the person who posted earlier with a bit more knowledge, if someone is referred to the coroner but died whilst detained under the MHA, can this be an admin process or does it require a post mortem?

(sorry op for asking on your thread)

Original poster

FiveShelties · 17/05/2023 20:45

No worries @Timetoswitch - I hope you get an answer

OP posts:

RuthW · 17/05/2023 20:46

Sometimes you have to call the gp in to do it. If they are on annual leave you will have to wait. It has to be done by someone who saw her alive with a certain amount of time.

TheBroadintheDaylight · 17/05/2023 20:49

Hi @Timetoswitch, I think you might mean me, apologies if not. Unfortunately, that’s an impossible question to answer without knowing the details of the case. Every case is so unique and there are multiple possible outcomes once a case has been referred to a Coroner. Best course of action to take here is to get in touch with the office that the case has been referred to for an update. Sorry I can’t be more helpful than that.

maddiemookins16mum · 17/05/2023 20:52

My lovely SIL died 3 weeks ago, took 8 days to get the certificate. The funeral is still a week away!

Timetoswitch · 17/05/2023 20:55

Thank you thebroad, the registrar who I’d been chasing just said it had been referred. I really hadn’t clicked that this was going to cause a delay.

There’s so much to take in.

I am really sorry for your loss fiveshelties

SmirnoffIceIsNice · 17/05/2023 20:57

I'm a funeral arranger. Sadly some GP surgeries are slower than others but the advice given so far by @TheBroadintheDaylight is correct.

We do allow families to start the planning process straight away, but if there is no certificate from the Registrar (or interim certificate from a coroner) then we will only book a date a few weeks in the future to give some time for the admin to be completed. Even then it can sometimes be necessary to push the date out further if there are delays. Your FD was a bit optimistic booking for next Tuesday if the MCCD hasn't even been issued by the GP.

I'm very sorry for your loss OP, and the added distress these delays are causing.

KingPrinceCharles · 17/05/2023 20:58

I think what you and the funeral director are waiting for from the GP is the Medical certificate of cause of death. Keep contacting the GP surgery and chasing it. There is some info about how it is completed on the gov.uk website. I register deaths sometimes as part of my job and I've often had to collect this form from the GP and take it when I register the death, if being done in person.
I don't think the timing to register will necessarily be an issue with the Registrar - hardly your fault if you don't have the paperwork from the GP to do so.

january123 · 17/05/2023 21:00

My DM died on the Tuesday and notification not received by the registrar until the following Monday. They didn't see that as any issue

Mackerson · 17/05/2023 21:07

My friend received her husbands death certificate and it had wrong details. Cue effusive apologies from GP surgery. Had to wait another few days for reissue. And yes, details were wrong a second time. It can all be very hard work.

OhwhyOY · 17/05/2023 23:02

This happened to my step-mum, it ended up taking something like a month to get the death certificate for her very elderly father who died of natural causes. Complain to the practice manager and explain the situation. What a nightmare, you definitely don't need nonsense like this when someone you love has died. My stepmother and her mum found the delays incredibly traumatic as they desperately wanted to have the funeral and say goodbye.

BrokenWing · 17/05/2023 23:15

It was a nightmare with my dad because he died at home overnight alone while mum was in hospital. He hadn't been to the gp surgery for 2 years and had only had home visits from the same gp for that whole time. That gp was on holiday.

He was kept in the hospital morgue for over a week while they tried to figure out what to do, nearly did a post mortum which really upset my mum, but thankfully sense prevailed and they had a senior Dr review his history at gp and hospital admissions and someone issued it.

Sorry for your loss and hope things get sorted for you soon.

LakieLady · 18/05/2023 07:43

Timetoswitch · 17/05/2023 20:44

We’ve got the funeral booked in too, fortunately a few weeks away.

(sorry op for asking on your thread)

There are special rules regarding deaths in mental health establishments. The Care Quality Commission has to be informed, and possibly the coroner.

They have to consider whether or not the death could have been prevented.

Gtsr443 · 18/05/2023 08:10

The locum hospital doctor completely screwed up my Mum's death certificate twice and it was held with coroner for ages because he wouldn't accept cause of death. It can be a bloody nightmare. And you are completely powerless to do anything about it.
With my grandmother who also died in hospital they insisted on a post mortem and it took weeks to get the certificate.
Then there was the difficulty in getting an appointment to actually register the death. We had a very long wait and finally went out of the area.
I hope it all gets sorted out quickly for you OP but be prepared for all eventualities.

Timetoswitch · 18/05/2023 16:04

Have you managed to get anywhere with this today fiveshelties ?

After quite a bit of to and fro, I’ve been able to make the appointment to register tomorrow.

Original poster

FiveShelties · 26/05/2023 20:23

I did get it sorted but only by involving the Coroner, who is horrified at the treatment I have received. Apparently, the Surgery have said that they were confused as to their 'responsibilities', but the Coroner has insisted they sign the certificate and in future should they be confused then they contact the Coroner's Office.

The GP was prescribing morphine and other end of life medication and I have no idea why she would be 'confused' with her 'responsibilities'. The surgery made a really tough situation absolutely horrendous for no reason at all. The head GP at the surgery is now involved and has also expressed his disappointment at the situation. I hope lessons are learnt and no-one has to go deal with anything like this - they might just not be as feisty as I am.

The funeral was this morning, all went well and I return to NZ on Tuesday and I just cannot wait.

Many thanks to everyone who offered advice and good wishes and my advice if anyone finds themselves in a similar position to go straight to the Coroner - they are just amazingly helpful and have the power to make things happen.

OP posts:

Dishwashersaurous · 28/05/2023 20:27

I'm so sorry to hear that it was unnecessarily complex.

Hope the funeral was ok

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