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Death certification consulation
14/07/2010
An analysis of the responses to phase one of the Scottish Government's consultation on Death Certification, Burial and Cremation was published today.
Phase One covers matters to do with the death certification proposals contained within the consultation.
A total of 102 responses were received from clinical healthcare staff and their representative organisations, local authorities, faith groups, the funeral industry, government officials and academics.
Key proposals include:
- The introduction of a small number of Medical Investigators to scrutinise death certification processes supported by statisticians
- Replacement of the current cremation fee of around £142 with a more modest fee
- Enabling trained clinical staff, including nurses and paramedics, to verify that a person has died
Public Health Minister Shona Robison said:
"This consultation relates to matters that affect every one of us and it is important the Scottish public have had a chance to voice their opinions.
"The proposed Medical Investigator model is one which offers a robust process, value for money and can give the public confidence in improved clinical governance, without introducing undue delays at a difficult time for bereaved families.
"Under the current arrangements in Scotland, cremation requires some scrutiny and incurs an additional cost. If introduced, these proposals would require an equal degree and standard of scrutiny for all deaths in Scotland, creating a consistency in approach between burial and cremation. The fees incurred would be lower than what is currently paid by two thirds of families in Scotland."
The Scottish Government's consultation on death certification, burial and cremation took place between January 27 and April 21, 2010. A total of 102 responses were received to 52 written questions. This phase one report, commissioned from Reid-Howie Associates, provides an analysis of the responses to questions related to the verification of death, the instructions surrounding the disposal of a body, death certification and deaths abroad.