When someone dies, the doctor who was caring for them will notify the Medical Examiner, who will review the cause of death and speak with the next of kin.

Once this process is complete, a Medical Certificate of Cause of Death will be issued and sent to the Register Office.

In some cases, such as when the death is sudden or the doctor is unavailable, the death may need to be referred to the Coroner. This can sometimes cause a delay in registering the death