Firstly, on behalf of the Senior Coroner and her team, can we pass on our sincere condolences if you are reading this as a recently bereaved family member. We are here to guide and support you during this difficult time so please don’t hesitate to ask questions or seek clarification.
You may have had little/no contact from the Coroner Service before, therefore we appreciate this may be new for you.
Please note that the following is a guide; there may be some variation to the following depending on the circumstances relating to the Deceased.
The following information may also be of use and interest to those that come into contact with the Coroner’s Office, such as Witnesses and ‘Interested Persons’.
Where a death is referred to the Coroner: what happens next?
The role of the Coroner
A Coroner is an independent judicial office holder. The Senior Coroner for Bedfordshire and Luton is Ms Emma Whitting.
Coroners make enquiries of any death that is reported to them and investigate the death if it appears that:
- the cause of death is unknown
- the death was violent or unnatural
- the person died in prison, police custody, or other type of state detention.
What happens when a death is referred to the Coroner?
Once the Coroner has been informed about the death, then the Deceased person is under the Coroner’s jurisdiction whilst initial enquiries are made, and if necessary, a post-mortem conducted. The Coroner’s Office will contact you as soon as practicable, usually during two working days, and after the officer has been able to speak to the Deceased’s general practitioner (GP). The Officer will discuss the conversation they have had with the GP with you, including if the GP is willing to provide a cause of death on the balance of probability. The Officer will record any concerns you may have so they can be reported to the Coroner.
The Deceased’s file along with the conversation with yourself (the family) and the GP will then be referred to the Coroner for review. In cases where the cause is found to be natural without the need for an examination, next of kin will be advised that the death can be registered.
Please note:
- the statutory requirement to register the death within five working days does not apply when a death is reported to the Coroner
- the Coroner’s Office cannot begin enquiries or contact the family until the death has been referred to the Coroner (this can be some days after the death, particularly deaths in hospital or via a GP referral)
- you can instruct and liaise with your instructed funeral director whilst Coronial enquiries are being undertaken, however please refrain from booking a funeral date until you have been informed that the Deceased has been released by the Coroner
- should the Deceased need to be conveyed whilst they are under the care of the Coroner, then the Coroner’s Contracted Funeral Director, Neville Funeral Service, will be instructed to do so. The Deceased may be conveyed to the local hospital Trust mortuary, or to Neville’s Funeral Service triage area, whilst a Coronial decision regarding the medical cause of death is made. The attending crews will tell you where the Deceased will be conveyed to
- once any post-mortem examinations are completed (should these be required) and/or the Coroner has decided that no examinations are necessary, you are entitled to decide upon and make arrangements with a funeral director of your choice; you are under no obligation to continue instructing Neville’s Funeral Service
Post-mortem examinations
In cases where the cause of the death is unknown or unnatural, the Coroner will often need to establish a medical cause of death through a post-mortem examination; this is carried out by a Pathologist acting on behalf of the Coroner. The Coroner’s Officer will inform you of the need for an examination, as well as the scheduled date and when you will be updated with the findings.
Coroners investigations
In some cases, the post-mortem does not reveal a cause of death and it may be necessary to conduct further tests such as taking biopsies or samples for toxicology testing. The Coroner will formally open an investigation while these are carried out (this will all be explained to you by the Coroner’s Officer).
Whilst an investigation is ongoing, you will not be able to register the death. You will be issued with copies of the Coroner’s Certificate of the Fact of Death (sometimes referred to as a temporary or ‘Interim Death Certificate’) for you to use until the investigation is complete.
Releasing the Deceased to your instructed funeral director
The Deceased will be released for burial and cremation as soon as possible. In the event that there are compelling reasons to justify an urgent consideration of a reported death, including the Deceased’s religious and/or cultural beliefs (once these have been notified to the Senior Coroner through her Officers), such investigations will be prioritised.
When you speak to the Coroner’s Officer, please let them know who your appointed funeral director is and whether you are planning a burial, cremation or repatriation. Your Coroner’s Officer will advise your funeral director when they can collect the Deceased from the hospital.
Registering the death where no inquest is to be held
Once the Coroner’s Office has advised you of the cause of death and that no further investigation/inquest is to be held, they will send the information on a certificate to the Registrar of deaths. You/the family will need to make an appointment to register the death; this will be with the Registrar in the borough that the person passed away in. Please contact your allocated Coroner’s Officer should you have any questions regarding this.
When does a Coroner hold an inquest
A Coroner will hold an inquest into a death if, the Coroner has reason to suspect that any of the following apply:
- the Deceased died a violent or unnatural death
- the Cause of the Deceased’s death is unknown
- the Deceased died while in custody or otherwise in state detention
The purpose of an inquest
An inquest is a public fact-finding enquiry to establish the medical cause of death and then to answer four questions:
- who died
- when they died
- where they died
- how – they died (including the Medical Cause of Death)
It is not the function of the inquest to attribute blame and it cannot be used to determine issues of civil or criminal liability. Those issues will be dealt with by other court proceedings, if necessary.
Inquests are held at the Coroner’s Court.
Coroner's Court
Woburn Street
Ampthill
Bedfordshire
MK45 2HX
Anyone can attend an inquest, subject to complying with the Court’s codes of behaviour. Please refer to our inquest page for all Scheduled Hearings. It is important that you notify us of your attendance in advance so we can ensure that our Coroner’s Court Support Volunteers will be there to welcome you. The Court generally sits Tuesdays to Thursdays. The Court opens from 9:15am (Hearings generally start at 10am; however, please check the website for precise Hearing dates/times).
Registering the death following an inquest
After the conclusion of the final inquest hearing, the Coroner will send a certificate to the registrar of deaths and arrange for the death to be registered; there is no requirement for you/the family to do this. Your allocated Coroner’s Officer/Court Officer will advise you how you can then obtain the final death certificate.