HOSPITAL (NON-CORONIAL) POST MORTEMS:

To arrange a hospital post-mortem contact the on-call Forensic Pathologist (Department of Forensic Pathology), mobile 021 555 319.

Hospital post-mortems can be requested by the Consultant but only when cause of death is known.

A death certificate must be completed prior to the commencement of a hospital post-mortem examination. If the cause of death is unknown then the death must be referred to the Coroner as this is a legal requirement. (Please see section 'Coronial Post Mortems' for when referral to the Coroner is required).

Requirements for a hospital post-mortem are:

1. Complete and original hospital records. If these are not received then the post-mortem will not be performed.

2. Completed CR0025 form (Adult post-mortem consent form) or CR0122 form (Paediatric post-mortem consent form).

3. Contact details of the medical practitioner requesting the post-mortem.

PERINATAL HOSPITAL AUTOPSIES

To arrange a perinatal autopsy call the National Perinatal Pathology Service - 0800 PERPAT (0800 737 472)

CORONIAL POST MORTEMS:

To refer a death to the Duty Coroner first complete the Hospital Record of Death form (HROD) CR2204 and either fax (06 969 6569) or email NIIO@justice.govt.nz to the Duty Coroner at the National Initial Investigation Office (NIIO).

To discuss the death with the Duty Coroner contact NIIO Office 0800 266 800 (24/7).

Referral to the coroner is required when:

No doctor can reasonably issue a medical Certificate of Cause of Death because not enough is known about the cause of the illness leading to death.

OR

Death is due to trauma, suicide or other unnatural means and/or subsequent complications.

OR

Death occurs during, or appears to be, the result of specific medical (including the administration of a medicine), surgical, dental or similar operation or procedure, including the administration of, or recovery from anaesthesia, and was medically unexpected.

OR

The patient was institutionalised or in official custody or care (as defined in the Coroners Act 2006) prior to this hospitalisation.

OR

A woman has died while giving birth or appears to have been the result of that woman being pregnant or giving birth.

Referral to the Coroner is not required:

Just because death occurs within any particular time period (e.g. 24h or 48h) after a procedure, although the proximity of a procedure should be a factor in assessing the likelihood of a causative relationship.

OR

If a reasonable clinical assessment by a registrar or specialist well acquainted with the case finds no causative relationship between any procedure and death.

OR

If the patient is >70 years, death was due to accidental injury arising principally by virtue of infirmities that were attributes of the person's age and the accident and death were not otherwise suspicious, violent or unnatural and there is no requirement for a Coroners Act inquest i.e. the suicide or death of an institutionalised patient .

AND

Death was due to accidental injury arising 'principally' by virtue of infirmities that were attributes of the person's age.

AND

The accident and death were not otherwise suspicious, violent or unnatural and there is no requirement for a Coroners act inquest i.e. the suicide or death of an institutionalised patient.

If you are unsure if referral to the Duty Coroner is required, first discuss with the registrar or consultant well aquatinted with the case.

If you are still unsure if referral to the Duty Coroner is required, then only the registrar or the consultant should call the Duty Coroner to discuss the case further. Contacting the Duty Coroner should not be the role of a junior member of the medical staff.

Coroners are not doctors; they are all lawyers. Some do have a background in nursing. While it may be helpful to explain the case in plain non-medical terms, some Coroners over time have become familiar with medical terminology, to some degree.

IF THERE IS ANY DOUBT ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT A CASE SHOULD BE REFERRED, THEN PHONE THE ON DUTY CORONER.

If the family wish for the body/Tupapaku to be urgently released, please inform the Coroner about this directly. The Coroner is entitled (not obliged) to authorise an urgent post-mortem examination, and if agrees, will arrange this with the on-call forensic pathologist as appropriate.

POST MORTEM REPORTS

For verbal reports on coronial post-mortems contact the forensic secretary ext. 21735. Hard copies of coronial post-mortem reports are only issued by the Coroner's office (09) 916 9419.

Hospital post mortems reports can be obtained through the forensic secretary ext. 21735.