Death Referral Form for the Coroner’s Office

COMMUNITY USE ONLY not for use in acute hospital settings

Note: Deaths in hospital will be reported in the usual way, and police are not required to attend

PLEASE NOTE:The Coroner has a statutory duty to investigate the following deaths (even where you know the cause of death)

  • Death is violent or unnatural
  • Cause of death is unknown
  • Death occurred in custody or other state detention*

The death of a person subject to a DoLS authorisation

whether an Urgent or Standard Authorisation

is a death in State detention and MUST be reported to the Coroner in EVERY case Outside of hospital settings:Kent police are required to ATTEND in every case and submit a 1050

Procedure

  • Home/Hospice to dial 101 and inform Police of DoLS death - it is a death in state detention and police attendance is therefore required and a fully completed police report (1050) and identification statement is required by the Coroner in every case
  • Home/Hospice to fax or e-mail the completed DoLS death referral form and statement of continuity of identification (template attached)AND a copy of the DoLS authorisation document to the relevant Coroner’s office and a copy should be given to police when they attend. IMPORTANT this must be completed and signed before the body is removed.
  • The body of the deceased should remain where found until police attend, unless unfeasible to do so
  • If the deceased is at a premises where there is a mortuary then the body should remain at the premises until the Coroner provides direction as to whether a post mortem is necessary or not
  • If the premises has no mortuary, the family’s chosen undertaker may remove the body after police attendance
  • Undertaker details must be provided to the Coroner on the death-referral form so that Coroner knows where the body will be lying

The managing authority should complete the form IN FULL and provide a statement of continuity of identificationand copy of the DoLS authorisation and forward to the coroner’s office immediately. The coroner’s office may need to contact you to obtain further information

North East Kent Coroner’s OfficeTelephone 03000 410603

Send by fax: 01843 601927 or e-mail to

Central & South East Kent Coroner’s OfficeTelephone 03000 410804

Send by fax: 01233 896249 ore-mail to

Mid Kent & Medway Coroner’s OfficeTelephone 03000 410502

Send by fax: 01622 663690 or e-mail to

North West Kent Coroner’s OfficeTelephone 03000 410703

Send by fax: 03000 422770 ore-mail to .