When someone dies, a doctor involved in their care has to complete a medical certificate of cause of death (MCCD), which the family take to the register office to register the death. Books of MCCDs are available to doctors and hospitals from their local registrar. These books have short notes at the front on how to complete the MCCD and when to refer deaths to the coroner.

Many doctors have questions about death certification, following recommendations from the Shipman Inquiry and Government plans for reform of related legislation. Consequently, additional guidance for doctors has been produced. This updated guidance covers many of the issues doctors often ask about, and should clarify best practice under current legislation. New guidance and training will be provided prior to any new legislation.

To download the notes, click on the following link and save to your hard drive: Guidance notes for doctors completing MCCDs (pdf, 275kb).