On 16th August 2024 the Ministry of Justice sent the following email out to stakeholders (NB, where it indicates a file is attached, a link has been created – simply click on it to view):
As you are aware, the death certification reforms that will bring into force the statutory medical examiner system will commence on 9 September 2024. Ahead of this we are now sharing:
- Amended guidance documents to be used from 9 September, including guidance on the transitional arrangements
- Amended cremation forms to be used from 9 September
- PowerPoint slides for stakeholder roundtables during w/c 5th August
Guidance documents
Please find attached the final version of the following revised guidance for:
- Cremation guidance: Applicants;
- Cremation guidance: Funeral Directors;
- Cremation guidance: Cremation Authorities and Crematorium Managers;
- Cremation guidance: Medical Referees;
- Guidance for registered medical practitioners on the Notification of Deaths Regulations;
- Guidance for crematorium Medical Referees on transitional provisions in the Cremation, Coroners and Notification of Deaths (Amendment) Regulations 2024.
The guidance is being shared ahead of the commencement of the new system so that you and your colleague can prepare for the incoming changes and facilitate any necessary training. It has been watermarked and will only apply when the new system and reforms come into force on 9 September 2024. Until then, existing guidance continues to apply.
Cremation forms
Also attached are the PDF versions of the new forms Cremation 1 (cremation application form), 6 (certificate of coroner) and 10 (Form for Medical Referee to Authorise the cremation of a dead person). Again, these only apply from 9 September 2024.
The guidance and new forms will be published on gov.uk on the commencement date (9 September 2024) at this link https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/cremation-forms-and-guidance. Welsh versions of this guidance will also be available through this link.
Other government guidance
You should also be aware that MoJ’s guidance is only one part of a suite of guidance that is being developed across government. Other government departments and agencies will share the following guidance with relevant stakeholders before the 9 September 2024:
- The Department for Health and Social Care will be issuing ‘Guidance for Doctors Completing a Medical Certificate of Cause of Death in England and Wales.’
- The General Register Office will be issuing guidance on the new arrangements separately directly to registrars.
- The National Medical Examiner’s Office will be issuing the National Medical Examiner’s guidance for England and Wales; and
- The Chief Coroner’s Office will be issuing guidance for coroners.
Stakeholder engagement event
We will be hosting sessions on 27 August at 14:00 and 29 August at 11:30 which we invite stakeholders to attend in order to update government on operational preparedness. We will circulate links in due course to these events.
To note, we will also be sharing the following in due course:
- A Q&A based on the questions received at our stakeholder events at the beginning of August.
- Guidance for deaths which occurred in Scotland, Northern Ireland, the Isle of Man, or the Channel Islands but where the cremation takes place in England and Wales in due course.
It is important that the new guidance and forms are not used until 9th September 2024. Current guidance and forms must be used until then.