Page 10 - UK

What if a coroner is involved?
A coroner is an independent judicial office holder, appointed by a local council. Coroners
usually have a legal background but will also be familiar with medical terminology.
Coroners investigate deaths that have been reported to them if it appears that:
 The death was violent or unnatural
 The cause of death is unknown, or
 The person died in prison, police custody, or another type of state detention.
In these cases coroners must investigate to find out, for the benefit of bereaved people and for
official records, who has died and how, when, and where they died.
Post-mortem examination
If a coroner decides that an investigation is necessary, a pathologist will normally carry out a post-
mortem examination of the body. The coroner must release the body as soon as possible, after
which you can arrange the funeral.
You should let the coroner know in writing if you wish to take the body abroad (including to
Scotland and Northern Ireland). If the post-mortem examination shows the cause of death, the
coroner will send a form to the Registrar of Births and Deaths stating the cause of death. You can
then make an appointment to register the death.
Inquest
If it was not possible to find out the cause of death from the post-mortem examination, or the
death is found to be unnatural, the coroner has to hold an inquest. An inquest is a public court
hearing held by the coroner in order to establish who died and how, when and where the death
occurred. The inquest will be held as soon as possible and normally within 6 months of the death
if at all possible. The coroner will let you know if more time is needed and what to expect in your
case.
At the end of the inquest
The coroner (or jury where there is one) comes to a conclusion at the end of an inquest. This
includes the legal ‘determination’, which states who died, and where, when and how they died.
The coroner or jury also makes ‘findings’ to allow the cause of death to be registered. The
coroner usually ensures that all questions are answered during the inquest, so the experience is
less stressful for the individuals involved. After an inquest, the death is re register automatically
and the death certificates can be purchased from the Registrar.
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Organ donation
It can be difficult to even think about organ donation when you are in a situation
where you are overwhelmed by different feelings and also daunted by the
practicalities that death involves. However, if the deceased’s or the nearest relatives
wish was to donate organs for transplant or even the whole body for medical
research, you will have to act quickly.
If the next of kin does not object to organ donation and the death occurred in hospital, then
the head of the institution will be lawfully in possession of the body and they may honour the
deceased’s request in writing or orally to two witnesses, for the body to be given for
medical research. If the death was reported to the Coroner, he / she will have
to give their consent before the body or organs can be donated. A medical
certificate must be issued before any organs can be removed or the
body used. If the donor has been certified to be brain stem dead
and when their breathing, and hence heartbeat, are maintained by
a ventilator in a hospital intensive care unit, then it is usual for the
kidneys and essentials for the heart, lungs, liver and pancreas to
be removed from donors.
Organs can be removed within a certain numbers of hours of the death,
hence the need to consider the organ donation as quickly as possible.
Please see below time limitations for organ donations
after heart death:
 Kidneys - can very rarely be removed up to an hour after heart death.
 Corneas (from the eyes) - up to 24 hours after death.
 Skin - up to 24 hours after death.
 Bone - up to 36 hours after death.
 Heart valves - up to 72 hours after death.
The doctor attending will be able to advise on any
procedure to take place and, after the donation, the
body is released back to relatives.
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