Information for GPs & Hospice staff

For GP Practices and Hospices within the Calderdale and Greater Huddersfield Area, whether you are a Systm one or EMIS practice, the below guide shows you the process of referring a the death of one of your patients to us.

1. Verified death in community (expected, known cause of death)

*If the death is an obvious coroner case (traumatic, self-harm, poisoning, exposure to asbestos, or no doctor has ever seen the patient in their lifetime, etc) the death must be referred direct to HMC through normal process.

If you are in any doubt about the cause of death or whether referral to coroner is required – please contact the ME office for advice/guidance.

2. GP who has seen the patient in their lifetime reviews health record with a view to establishing cause of death for MCCD (to the best of their knowledge and belief)

3. GP Completes the MCCD, uploads to the patient record and completes Medical Examiners referral form on S1* / Death documentation template on EMIS this is so there is an audit of the referral to ME Team on the patient record (EMIS practices please email medical.examiner@cht.nhs.uk notification of the deceased patients NHS number). – Please note as you are completing the MCCD with a cause of death, on the referral form you can write ‘SEE MCCD’ in the cause of death boxes if you wish to do so.

4. Referral accepted by ME office.

5. ME office make initial call to NOK to explain ME process/time frame.

6. Scrutiny takes place – ME agrees with COD stated**

7. ME will inform NOK of agreed COD and advise them that the MCCD will be sent to the registrars to allow them to make an appointment to register the death.

8. ME counter signs MCCD

9. Task back to GP practice (both S1 and EMIS) to say scrutiny complete. Referral ended on S1 / EMIS – MEO to reply to original email.

10. ME Office will send completed MCCD to the relevant registrar’s office:

• Kirklees practices – MCCD will be uploaded by ME Office to the registrar portal.
• Calderdale practices – MCCD will be emailed by the ME office to the registrars.

*S1 referrals – polite reminder, once the referral form has been completed, click ok, this will take you back to the first screen, you must then click the ‘refer to CHFT Medical Examiners’ button (shown on the next page) this opens a task box to allow the referral to be sent to the ME Office.

**If the ME suggest a change or addition to the completed MCCD, a task will be sent notifying the GP. Contact details provided for ME office, within the task, if GP wishes to discuss.

The Duty ME will be available to receive telephone referrals via switchboard (01484 342000 / 01422 357171) -from 08:30am to 09:30am 

*the nornal office phones are not manned on a weekend or bank holiday*

Outside of these hours the ME can still receive a referral by completing an MCCD and forwarding this to our inbox or via S1 through the normal process– medical.examiner@cht.nhs.uk. These cases will be looked at when the ME is next on duty. 

 

GP – General Practitioner                                                  COD – Cause of death

ME – Medical Examiner                                                      S1 – system one

MCCD – Medical Certificate of Cause of death