Slough Borough Council

Why has a death been referred to the Coroner's Office? And therefore why won't you register the death?

Death cannot be registered until a medical certificate of the cause of death has been issued. This may be issued by your family doctor so you would need to contact your relative’s surgery. It may be issued by a hospital doctor in which case the Patient’s Affairs Officer will issue it.

The most common reason why it cannot be registered immediately, is that there was no doctor treating the deceased during the last illness and therefore there is no doctor who is legally qualified to issue a medical certificate of the cause of death. It may also be that the doctor certifying the death has not seen the deceased after death or within 14 days of the death. Alternatively, it may be that the death was the result of an accident, injury, self neglect, occurred during an operation or was the result of an industrial disease related to the deceased's occupation.

In all these circumstances the registrar is legally obligated to report the death to the Coroner in order to properly establish the cause of death. The registrar cannot register until the Coroner has notified the registrar that he is satisfied. In some cases it is necessary to have a post-mortem and in that case the coroner's officer will contact you to tell you when you may come to register.

The registrar needs to know:

• the full name of the deceased and any previous names used
• the date and place of birth
• full name of a woman’s husband and his occupation before death or retirement
• the current address of the deceased

Please contact us for an appointment before coming to register a death Telephone: (01753) 787600 Fax: (01753) 787605 Email: registrar@slough.gov.uk

Opening Hours: 9.30 to 4.30 Monday to Friday. Saturdays - open in the mornings for weddings by appointment only.

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