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The Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages has prepared an information sheet regarding requirements for notification and certification of deaths by doctors. The content was prepared to inform new doctors about their obligations and help clarify issues for those who regularly need to complete these forms.
Notification and Certification of Death
The Australian Bureau of Statistics issued a booklet and quick reference guide in October 2001 to assist medical practitioners when completing medical certificates of cause of death. The booklet is easy to follow and contains information regarding doctors' responsibilities, how the death data is utilised, common problems encountered in completing the certification documents and determining the underlying cause of death. Both the booklet and quick reference guide are available on this website with permission from the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
Download the ABS Cause of Death Certification Australia Booklet.
Download the ABS Quick Reference Certification Guide.
For more information regarding the booklet or quick reference guide, or for more information on population and health statistics, contact
Notification and Certification of Death
(for all deaths which are not required to be referred to the Coroner)S.36 of the Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration Act 1996 requires the doctor who certifies a patient's death also to separately notify the Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages within 48 hours after the death.
Booklets of certification/notification forms are available from the Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration Office. Please ensure that you are using the current forms, not the obsolete forms relating to the 1966 Act.
The form consists of three sections. Each section must be completed by the doctor.
1 The stub is kept for the doctor's records.
2 The central panel, Doctor's Certificate of Cause of Death, is to be handed to the funeral director.
3 The outer panel, the Notice of Death, must be sent promptly to the Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration Office, (see details over page).
The Notice of Death should NOT be given to the funeral director.
Certificate
Notice of death
The Notice should serve as a prompt first advice of death, which is later matched with the Death Registration Statement (from the funeral director) and the Doctor's Certificate of Cause of Death in a verification process. If the matching paperwork is not received, the Notice also serves to alert BDM that a death has occurred but the body has not been properly disposed of, or the funeral director has not registered the death.Cause of death
It is most important that the Doctor's Certificate of Cause of Death is completed thoroughly, with all fields addressed, and that it is legible, with the doctor's name, address and contact details clearly set out. As well as the immediate cause of death, the antecedent causes and other contributing conditions should be stated, along with duration for each condition.After the death is registered, the Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration Office forwards the Doctor's Certificate of Cause of Death to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) which is Australia's national statistical authority. The ABS is responsible for collecting, processing and disseminating quality causes of death (mortality) statistics.
To obtain a copy of ‘Cause of Death Certification, Australia - a Booklet for the Guidance of Medical Practitioners in Completing Medical Certificates of Cause of Death', call ABS (toll free) on 1800 620 963, or download from the links above.
Ordering forms
For supplies of Doctor's Certificate of Cause of Death/Notification booklets, contact our office.
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Information on copyright for the Office of Consumer and Business Affairs website is provided on behalf of South Australia Central http://www.sacentral.sa.gov.au/site/page.cfm?u=60
Disclaimer
Information on the disclaimer for the Office of Consumer and Business Affairs website is provided on behalf of South Australia Central http://www.sacentral.sa.gov.au/site/page.cfm?u=61
Privacy
The South Australian Office of Consumer and Business Affairs (OCBA) is committed to protecting your privacy and the confidentiality of your personal information, consistent with the South Australian Government's Information Privacy Principles. If you would like to view the full privacy statement please visit: http://www.ocba.sa.gov.au/privacy.html
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