Death certificate delays leaves Newport family in funeral limbo

A family has had to wait weeks before planning the funerals of two relatives because of delays in death certificates being issued.

Paul Crook, from Langstone, Newport, said he had also had to make repeated phone calls to hurry the process along as he grieved for both of his in-laws.

The new system, brought about partly in response to Harold Shipman’s murders, means all deaths not investigated by a coroner are now reviewed independently by a medical examiner before a death certificate is issued.

The Welsh government said it was sorry for the delays, adding that the new system was designed to safeguard families and may “take some time to fully bed in”.

Under the new system, introduced on 9 September 2024, GPs no longer issue death certificates independently.

After a doctor completes a medical certificate of cause of death (MCCD), an independent medical examiner reviews it.

Mr Crook, whose family suffered two bereavements in a matter of months, is one of a number of people calling for a review of the system in England and Wales.

His father-in-law Anthony Roberts died on 26 November, but they did not get his death certificate until 13 December – 17 days later – which was when they could start planning the funeral.

The funeral then took place on 27 December, 31 days after Mr Roberts died.

Mr Roberts’ wife June fell ill on 20 December and died on 2 January, with her death certificate not issued until 13 January.

It means Mrs Roberts’ funeral will not take place until 3 February, 32 days after her death.

Mr Crook said he also needed to call up to chase the process “many, many times”.

“When you did get an answer, often you’d be put through to an automated system and then eventually the call would drop off and you’d been waiting ten minutes for a response,” said Mr Crook.

“You’d then call back and eventually get to speak to somebody and they then give you a status update which was usually ‘it’s being chased, we’re waiting for a doctor’.”

Natasha Asghar, the Conservative Senedd member for South Wales East, echoed Mr Crook’s calls for a review.

“Why exactly do we have this backlog?,” Ms Asghar said.

“Whilst I have all the respect and admiration for those people who work in the front line [and] I can understand it’s a very high pressured job, it is essential that the Welsh government carries out a review sooner rather than later to prevent incidents like this from happening ever again.”

The process was taking “up to three times as long” as it used to, according to Rachel Bradburne from the National Association of Funeral Directors.

“We’re looking at two to three weeks from death to contact with the medical examiner,” she said.

“Just to put it in some context, before 9 September it was an average of a week, so just extending that period has some very serious consequences.”

A Welsh government spokesperson said: “We would like to apologise to any families who have experienced delays in receiving death certificates, which may have affected their funeral plans.

“Changes introduced in England and Wales to reform the death certification process are designed to strengthen safeguards for families but these may take some time to fully bed in.

“We are working with the lead medical examiner and the NHS in Wales to understand where the delays are, and how bereaved families can be provided with additional support at such a difficult time.”