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Hospital post-mortem examinations

Once the MCCD has been issued, the doctor who was responsible
for the care of the patient may ask your permission to carry out a
hospital post-mortem examination. This can help doctors to
understand more about the cause of death, and can be of value to the
understanding of disease. You can request a hospital post- mortem
examination even if the doctor has not asked you. It will usually be
carried out within two or three days. The appropriate person will be
required to give consent and will usually be asked to come to the
hospital to sign a consent form. The procedure, and subsequent
removal and storage of tissue are regulated by the Human Tissue
Authority, and King’s College Hospital abides by its Codes of Practice.
More information is available at www.hta.gov.uk

Please contact the bereavement team for more information about
post-mortem examinations.

Arranging a funeral

The choice of funeral director is important, as you should feel
comfortable and confident in their ability to arrange a funeral according
to your wishes. You may want to ask questions about their
arrangements, for example:

• Whether a viewing can be arranged at the funeral parlour
• What costs are involved.

Costs for the same services may vary considerably from one funeral
director to another, and you may wish to get more than one quote.

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