§ Mr. Trippierasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will take steps to allow doctors who are satisfied as to the cause of death and who have been attending the deceased, though not within the previous 14 days, to give a valid death certificate.
§ Sir George YoungA medical practitioner in attendance on a deceased person during that person's last illness is required by section 22 of the Births and Deaths Registration Act 1953 to sign and deliver to the registrar a certificate in the prescribed form stating to the best of his knowledge and belief the cause of death. The medical practitioner is bound by this requirement whether or not he saw the deceased person within the 14 days prior to death. However, where the deceased was seen by the medical practitioner neither after death nor within 14 days before death the registrar is required by regulation to report the death to the coroner.
Accordingly, a medical practitioner who attended the deceased in the last illness and who is satisfied as to the cause of death can, and should, sign a certificate even if he had not seen the deceased within the previous 14 days. This certificate will then be accepted by the registrar and the death will not be reported to the coroner provided that the medical practitioner certifies that he has seen the body after death.