From 9 September 2024, there will no longer be a doctor's fee in England and Wales when arranging a funeral. This is because from this date, all deaths in England and Wales will be independently viewed, either by a relevant coroner or by a Medical Examiner and the cost will be met by the NHS.
A Medical Examiner is a specifically trained independent senior doctor who will scrutinise all deaths across a local area that do not fall under the coroner's jurisdiction. By providing a greater level of scrutiny over the cause of deaths; it is hoped that the introduction of Medical Examiners will make it less likely that unnatural causes of death will go unnoticed; that the number of deaths unnecessarily referred to the coroner will be reduced and that national data about causes of death will be captured with greater accuracy.
Medical Examiners, or Medical Examiner Officers, will also be available to meet with families, or their representatives, if they wish to discuss the cause of death.