Medical Examiner Service

Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust host a nationally mandated Medical Examiner Service for providing independent review of deaths that occur at the Trust and within the Berkshire West community.  

The Medical Examiner (ME) is a senior doctor, who is independent and therefore will not have been involved in the person’s care.

Their role is to review the medical records, speak to the Doctor who treated your loved one, and together agree on the wording for the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death (MCCD) so the death can be registered. This process can take 1 – 3 working days. This new step will ensure the accuracy of the cause of death and highlight any cause for concern regarding care which has been provided.

Within a few days of the death, you will be contacted by telephone by a ME or a trained Medical Examiner Officer (MEO).

During the telephone conversation, the ME or MEO will explain to you what the cause of death will be recorded as. You will have the opportunity to ask any questions about the cause of death or about any aspect of the care received.

Under certain circumstances there is a legal requirement to inform the Coroner of a patient’s death. If there is a need to contact the Coroner, the Coroner will decide if the treating Doctor can issue the MCCD or if further investigations are needed. The Medical Examiner Service can advise further on this if required.

If you have concerns about care, the ME or MEO will be able to advise on the best way to raise those concerns. We are also happy to hear any positive feedback so we can share this with the appropriate teams.

Following the call, the ME will release the completed MCCD and any other legal documents to allow the death to be legally registered.