Deaths that do not need to be reported to the coroner

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Natural cause deaths

You do not need to report a death to a coroner if:

  • based on the person’s medical history and/or the circumstances surrounding the death you are satisfied that person died of natural causes (for example, illness) and

  • there are no other circumstances that would require the death to be reported to the coroner (for example the person was in official custody or care).

You do not have to be certain of the cause of death. It is enough to have a probable or likely cause of death to enter as the cause of death.

When completing an MCCD, the cause of death entered into part one should be specific and relate to the direct cause of death (for example, pneumonia). Do not list the “mode of death” by itself. The mode of death describes “how” the person died (for example, collapse or syncope or coma) but does not itself convey “why” the person died. Do not list a “definition of death” as a cause of death: every patient who dies has a cardiac arrest or cardiorespiratory arrest so those terms do not by themselves explain the cause of death.

Any comorbidities (for example, severe dementia, stroke, frailty of old age) can be entered into part two of the MCCD - this provides context for why the direct cause of death was more likely to lead to death. 

You can find more information on completing an MCCD on the Manuaū Hauora Ministry of Health website(external link).

Post mortems are not usually available through the Ministry of Justice for natural cause deaths. If you or the patient’s whānau wish to organise a private post mortem examination to determine the exact cause or mechanism of death, contact the nearest pathology unit.

Age-related deaths

Deaths of over 70-year-olds likely to be caused by accident or injury.

You do not have to report a death caused by accident or injury to the coroner if:

  • the person who died is over 70 years of age and

  • an age-related infirmity caused the accident or injury, or caused the person to die from the accident or injury and

  • the injuries caused or contributed substantially to the death and

  • the accident or injury was not suspicious or unusual or caused by something that someone else did or failed to do and

  • the death is not required to be reported to the coroner for any other reason. 

Note: This is allowed under section 46C of the Burial and Cremation Act 1964.

Frailty of old age

If you are unsure of the precise cause of death for people aged 80 or over, there is an option to record “frailty of old age” as a cause of death on the MCCD. Refer to Manatū Hauora Ministry of Heatlh(external link) for more information.

You do not have to report a death to the coroner if:

Assisted dying

You do not need to report a death to the coroner that is the result of assisted dying that complies with the End of Life Choice Act 2019. The doctor or nurse practitioner who was available to the person until the person died can certify the death by signing an MCCD as soon as is practically possible. The death should be reported to the Registrar (assisted dying) within 14 days. See Manatū Hauora Ministry of Health assisted dying guidelines(external link) for more information.

For additional information see Whānau, caregiver or medical team concerns.

Stillbirth

You do not need to report a stillbirth to the coroner.

A stillbirth is a birth where a fetus:

  • is born without signs of life, for example there are no signs of breathing or a heartbeat and

  • weighs 400g or more at birth or

  • is born after the 20th week of pregnancy.

The doctor or midwife who was present at the birth or who examined the child after birth should certify the death by completing a Medical Certificate of Causes of Fetal and Neonatal Death (HP4721). The HP4721 is not yet available on Death Documents. For more information refer to Manatū Hauora Ministry of Health guidelines(external link)

If you cannot determine whether the child was stillborn and the death would otherwise be reportable you should report the death to the coroner.

 
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