Who can order a post mortem?

A post-mortem examination will be carried out if it’s been requested by:

• a coroner – because the cause of death is unknown, or following a sudden, violent or unexpected death.
• a hospital doctor – to find out more about an illness or the cause of death, or to further medical research and understanding.

How do I get a post mortem report?

If you want a written copy of the full report you need to ask the coroner’s officer or to write to the Coroner concerned and they may charge a fee. Some Coroners prefer to send the report to a doctor to explain and discuss the findings with you.

Can a GP request a post mortem?

You will not be asked for your consent for a coroner’s post mortem. However, the coroner must tell you when and where the post-mortem will take place, if you ask. You have the right to be represented at the post mortem by a medical practitioner. This could be your GP or another pathologist.

Can a family refuse a post mortem?

The patient or the next of kin can refuse consent for a hospital post mortem and it cannot be carried out if consent is withheld. The next of kin cannot override a decision made by the patient in life regarding a hospital post mortem.

Can family refuse an autopsy?

Yes, an autopsy can be ordered by authorities without relatives’ consent in several situations. If an autopsy is not required by law or ordered by authorities, the deceased person’s next of kin must give permission for an autopsy to be performed.

Can you insist on an autopsy?

Who may request an autopsy? You can request an autopsy if you are the person’s next of kin or are the legally responsible party. You will need to sign a consent form to give permission for the autopsy.

Can I put in my will that I don’t want an autopsy?

You can certainly make that wish known. Your wish may be overruled if a coroner determines your death resulted from a crime or under suspicious circumstances. An autopsy may be ordered, and performed under those circumstances.

What verdict can a coroner give?

Possible outcomes include: natural causes; accident; suicide; unlawful or lawful killing; industrial disease and open verdicts (where there is insufficient evidence for any other verdict). Sometimes a coroner uses a longer sentence describing the circumstances of the death, which is called a narrative verdict.

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