Pandemic influenza: Guidance on the management of death certification and cremation certification 

This guidance document forms one of three pieces of guidance produced by Government to support planning for the management of the excess deaths resulting from an influenza pandemic. As set out in the UK Influenza Pandemic Preparedness Strategy 2011, depending upon the virulence of the influenza virus responsible for a pandemic, the susceptibility of the population and effectiveness of countermeasures, up to 2.5% of those who are symptomatic with flu may die. Based on the UK population size, that equates to up to 750,000 additional deaths over the period of the pandemic (i.e. deaths that would not have happened over the same period of time had a pandemic not taken place). These increases to the numbers of natural deaths in a potentially short period of time will place considerable pressure on local service providers. It is therefore essential that Local Resilience Forums, Local Authorities, the NHS, registrars, coroners and other service providers (including any private or public organisations involved in the management of deaths) develop plans for this eventuality. Together with this guidance document, the other two guidance documents supporting planning in this area are: • The Home Office guidance ‘Planning for a Possible Influenza Pandemic – A Framework for Planners Preparing to Manage Deaths’. This offers advice to local authorities and service providers who are responsible for producing and maintaining emergency and business continuity plans associated in the management of excess deaths. • The Ministry of Justice guidance ‘Pandemic Influenza: Guidance for Coroners and Planners in England and Wales’. This guidance is intended to assist coroners, local authorities and Local Resilience Forums to prepare for and mitigate the effects of an influenza pandemic. It is designed to ease the pressure on coroners’ services and provide coroners with greater discretion in the event of an influenza pandemic. The Guidance applies to the current system under the Coroners Act 1988 and Coroners Rules 1984. The Chief Coroner, once in post, will work with the Ministry of Justice to review and amend this Guidance as appropriate, reflecting the changes to be introduced under the Coroners and Justice Act 2009. This guidance is intended: • To assist medical practitioners with their responsibility for the appropriate certification of deaths in the event of an influenza pandemic • To assist cremation and burial authorities in managing their responsibility for the disposal of remains.