Crem form changes (Credit Miles Carter)
The requirement to complete the confirmatory medical certificate (form Cremation 5) is suspended. Cremations should be authorised on the basis of form Cremation 4 only.
Form Cremation 4 remains unchanged and an auto-completing version is available in the documents folder. It can be submitted electronically and an electronic signature includes being sent from the secure email account of the person completing the form Cremation 4.
The requirement for form Cremation 4 to be completed by the attending medical practitioner is suspended. Any medical practitioner can now complete form Cremation 4, even if they did not attend the deceased during their last illness or after death, if the following two conditions are both fulfilled:
The medical practitioner who did attend the deceased is unable to sign the form Cremation 4 or it is impractical for them to do so.
A medical practitioner (DOCTOR) has seen the deceased (including audiovisual/video consultation) within 28 days before death, or has viewed the body in person after death.
Examination of the body is not required for completion of form Cremation 4 if the deceased was seen by a medical practitioner (including audiovisual/video consultation) in the 28 days before death.
When a medical practitioner who did not attend the deceased completes form Cremation 4, the following applies:
Question 5. ‘Usual medical practitioner’. Where the certifying doctor did not themselves attend the patient either during their illness or after death, the certifying doctor should provide the GMC number and name of the medical practitioner who did attend at Question 9. This should also include the date when the deceased was seen and a report of the record made by the attending doctor.
Question 6 – “Please state how long you attended the deceased during their last illness”. “Not applicable” is acceptable.
Question 7 – “Please state the number of days and hours before the deceased’s death that you last saw them alive”. “Not applicable” is acceptable.
Question 8 – “Please state the date and time that you saw the body of the deceased and the examination that you made of the body”. “Not applicable” is acceptable, but remember that if the form Cremation 4 is being completed on the basis of another medical practitioner having seen the deceased after death, the date, time and nature of their examination should be recorded at Question 9.