New Death Certification System

Bereaved families across Scotland will save a combined 5-and-a-half million pounds each year.

From today, families are no longer required to pay around £170 for cremation forms signed by a doctor. The Scottish Government says the quality and accuracy of death certificates will be improved and will provide a better understanding of the actual causes of death. Ministers say it will allow NHS resources to be targeted more effectively. It will also provide better healthcare information to families to enable them to manage their own health where some conditions may run in families.

For the first time, relatives will have the right to request a review of the information on the certificate if they have any concerns. Reviews will be carried out by an independent team at Healthcare Improvement Scotland.

Assistance with post-mortem examinations will also be provided to bereaved families dealing with a death that has happened abroad. Families will be able to apply for assistance, including financial assistance, to arrange for a post-mortem.

Some death certificates will be selected at random and reviewed to ensure that the information has been completed correctly.

Maureen Watt, Minister for Public Health, said: “Dealing with the death of a loved one is a difficult and traumatic experience. It can also be an expensive process, so I’m pleased that we have been able to improve the system and abolish cremation fees.

“It’s important that the death certification process is rigorous. The recorded information should be both correct and sufficiently detailed that can improve future health care for families and communities. By improving the certification process we can ensure this continues to be the case.

“In the rare cases where a family has concerns or complaints about what has been included on the death certificate, it’s entirely right that they should be able to request a review. For that reason we have introduced a right to an independent review of the death certificate."