Who Should Make the Report and in What Circumstances Should it be Made?

Categories of death to be reported

The following deaths are examples of those that must be reported to the Procurator Fiscal (‘reportable deaths’).

For the full list please refer to the guidance on the COPFS website.

Suspicious deaths
Drug-related deaths (including deaths due to adverse drug reactions reportable under the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency Yellow Card Scheme)
Deaths in legal custody
Accidental deaths (including those resulting from falls)
Deaths resulting from an accident in the course of employment
Deaths of children from overlaying or suffocation
Deaths as a result of deliberate self harm
Any death from natural causes where the cause of death cannot be identified by a medical practitioner to the best of a doctor's knowledge and belief (certainty is not required)
Deaths as a result of neglect / fault
Deaths where the body of a newborn is found
Deaths that may be categorised as a Sudden Unexpected Death in Infancy (SUDI)
Any death of a child who is cared for by the local authority
Deaths from notifiable / infectious diseases
Deaths under medical care (the circumstances of which are the subject of concern or complaint, or may indicate fault or negligence, or are likely to be subject to an Adverse Event Review, or may indicate that failure of a piece of equipment may have caused or contributed to the death)
Any death not falling into any of the foregoing categories where the circumstances surrounding the death may cause public anxiety.

All deaths listed in the COFPS guidance must be reported.

The following circumstances are NOT reasons for rendering the death reportable:

That the death occurred within 24 hours (or any other timescale) of admission to hospital
That the death occurred within 24 hours (or any other timescale) of an operation
That the deceased, who had a terminal illness, died earlier than expected
That the deceased had not been seen by a GP for some time
That a Consultant has instructed that the death be reported without specifying the reasons why. A death certificate may be issued if a medical practitioner is able to identify a cause of death to the best of his or her knowledge and belief. Certainty is not required