Cause of death Covid-19 but not tested

[CandyflossKid]

My dad died 2 weeks ago - he was in a nursing home with severe dementia and was not in the best of health anyway due to heart failure and heart disease. He passed away very quickly and the dr has put Covid-19 as the cause of death - both the family and the nursing home are shocked by this as he was never tested and it all happened very quickly.

Is there anything I can do to query it with the Dr and ask how it can be definitely Covid-19 if he was not tested?

Hi Candy, sorry for your loss

It may seem surprising, but as GP’s we put the most likely cause of death on death certificates. We often don’t know for absolute sure, but will put, on balance, what is most likely. There is no community testing for COVID19, but if it seems likely that he had it, it would be normal to put this on the death certificate and standard practice. If we really don’t know we will discuss with the coroner. Hope that helps? You could ring your dad’s GP to discuss if you have concerns.

I’m sorry for your loss

It’s a thing that people are being listed as Covid 19 deaths without testing. It’s not a quiet thing, if you see what I mean. Sir Patrick Vallance said it in one of the press briefings. The legislation has some alterations to it for records of deaths in the current circumstances.

You might be able to get more advice and the relevant legal passage of you post on the main Covid thread?

I take it the death certificate has been done?

I don’t know if it’s worth alerting the registrar and the doctor. Did he have any symptoms at all?

Note this is why they keep referring to deaths with Covid as opposed to deaths of Covid.

I would be furious if I thought someone had been allocated the wrong cause of death but I think it would be a hell of a battle to fight at the moment.

Thanks for your replies - think I'll phone the dr's tomorrow to see if they spoke to the Coroner as the certificate took a few more days than usual.

when I got dad's death certificate, I sat with the registrar, answered a bunch of questions and it was done.

I don't know how certificates are being done now - does a family member even need to be there?

totally random point, but Dominic Frisby (financial writer) lost his father a week or so ago. He said on Twitter that he had also been told there was pressure to note deaths as Covid 19 when they were not. He said this completely publicly.

I hope you found an answer to your question but as others said if the GP thinks it was Covid they can put it as a cause of death.

To answer another question death registrations are being done over the phone. They are exactly the same questions and the registrar signs on behalf of the relative.

@CandyflossKid, sorry for your loss.

My mum is in a brilliant Nursing home with last stages of dementia and has been ill (up and down but asymptomatic) for nearly 3 weeks. GP has said it is Covid - she doesn’t need to be tested as a few cases (residents and carers) have been positive already.

Could that be the same in your case?

he had also been told there was pressure to note deaths as Covid 19 when they were not. Where was this pressure coming from?