SCOTLAND has become the first nation in the UK to scrap fees for cremation forms signed by doctors.
New and improved death certificates came into being across Scotland yesterday as the Certification of Death Act, passed by the Scottish Parliament, took effect.
One immediate benefit is that families will no longer have to pay around £170 for the paperwork necessary for a cremation to proceed under the medical referee system. Total savings for bereaved families will be around £5.5 million per year.
The legislation was prompted in part by the recommendations of Dame Janet Smith’s inquiry into the murderous crimes of Dr Harold Shipman. She called for changes to the death certification system in England and Wales and these have still to be introduced.
The Scottish Government, however, took heed of the inquiry’s report and acted to bring forward the law which both alters the death certification system and abolishes cremation certificate fees.
The quality and accuracy of death certificates will be improved which will create a better understanding of the actual causes of death, allowing 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 and assistance with post-mortem examinations will also be provided to bereaved families dealing with a death that has happened abroad. Families will also be able to apply for assistance, including financial assistance, to arrange for a post-mortem exam.
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 it can improve future health care for families and communities.
“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.”
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