Certification
​Medical Certificate Of Cause Of Death (MCCD)
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A Medical Certificate of Cause of Death (MCCD) is a formal document that states the cause of death. The MCCD is issued by the hospital doctor if death took place in the hospital, or by the GP if death took place at home or within the community. This document will be required by the Registrar of Births and Deaths in order to register the death.
Before the MCCD can be issued a "Verification of Death" certificate will be produced. If death occurs at home the deceased's GP or the emergency doctor (in some cases a trained nurse or paramedic) will provide this. The "Verification of Death" certificate should not be confused with the MCCD.
If death was expected the cause of death will be clear and the MCCD will be issued which, will include the following information:
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Full name of deceased
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The age of the deceased
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The deceased place of death
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The deceased cause of death
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Who issues the MCCD?
The MCCD is normally issued by a deceased's GP for deaths at home or care home or by the hospital doctor through Bereavement Services if death occurred in the hospital.
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Our call handler will be happy to guide you if you need any advice in respect of obtaining the MCCD.​
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Procedural changes
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For deaths where the cause of death is known, the hospital where the death took place, or issuing GP will scan the MCCD directly to the Registrar of Birth & Death, no physical documents will be provided to the family.
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Note: For community deaths and deaths within UHL the Medical Examiner (ME) will contact the next of kin and discuss the cause of death prior to issuing the MCCD.
For further information on the role of the Medical Examiner please click here. ​
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Coroner Referrals
If the cause of death is unclear, the death will be reported to the Coroner who will investigate the death.
For deaths in the community, if the GP cannot be contacted then the death will also be referred to the coroner to investigate.
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Coroner referrals can be distressing and can often cause delays in the funeral process. Please visit our page on HM Coroner for more detailed information on the Coronial service.
Notification by the Coroner
If the death is referred to the Coroner but no inquest is to follow then a pink form P100 B (states the cause of death) will be sent directly to the Registrar by the Coroner in order to register the death.
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If the death is referred to the Coroner for an inquest and following the inquest, the body is to be buried an “Order for Burial” form P101 will be given by the Coroner for burial to take place.
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The Coroner will also send a “Certificate After Inquest” form 99 (rev), stating the cause of death, directly to the Registrar allowing the death to be registered.
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Non-Viable Foetus Or Stillbirth
A non-Viable Foetus (NVF) is a child born prior to the 24th week of pregnancy.
A Stillborn is a child born after the 24th week of pregnancy.
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For a foetus, 24 weeks or less a three-part form will be issued by the hospital. This document will be required and sufficient for a burial to be arranged. No registration will be necessary.
For a stillborn or foetus over 24 weeks a “Certificate of Still Birth” will be issued by the attending Doctor or Midwife. Undertaking the Registration process and acquiring a Burial Order will be necessary.​
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Body Release
Once the MCCD has been issued we are able to make arrangements for the deceased to be collected so that they can be prepared for burial. If the death took place in a hospital collection will be from one of the UHL mortuary's or if it was a community death, the collection will be made from the home or care home.
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Note: If the death took place within the community and where the MCCD has not been issued, however, the GP has been contacted and has provided assurance that he or she will be issuing, the body can be collected and kept in a community-based mortuary. Bathing and shrouding however cannot be carried out until the MCCD has been obtained.
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In certain instances, a community death will be reported by the attending paramedics to the Coroner as the GP could not be contacted but is likely to issue the MCCD as death was expected. In such instances, the Coroner may authorise the removal of the deceased for safe and secure storage at one of the community-based mortuary's. In such cases, the deceased cannot be viewed or prepared for burial until the Coroner has cleared it or until the MCCD has been obtained.
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Contacting University Hospitals of Leicester (UHL) Bereavement Services
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Leicester Royal Infirmary
Opening hours:
09.00am. - 4.00pm. Monday to Friday
Enquiries - 0116 258 5194 or 0116 258 5196
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Leicester General Hospital
Opening hours:
09.00am. - 4.00pm. Monday to Friday
Enquiries - 0116 258 4235 or 0116 258 4236
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Glenfield Hospital
Opening hours:
09.00am. - 4.00pm. Monday to Friday
Enquiries - 0116 258 3401 or 0116 256 3417
UHL - Website
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