There are a number of situations where a death should be reported to the coroner, such as where the deceased was not attended during his last illness by a medical practitioner, where the cause of death is unknown, or a death which appears to have occurred during an operation or before recovery from the effect of an anaesthetic. Deaths are usually reported to the coroner by the police, by a doctor, or by the local register of deaths. The registrar should not register any deaths that have been reported to the coroner until the coroner finishes his enquiries. This means that there may be a delay before the funeral can take place (please see below).