Information

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Apply for a medical certificate review

You have the right to ask for a medical certificate to be reviewed if you have questions or concerns about the cause of death of a family member. This is called an 'interested person review'.

Healthcare professionals and funeral directors can also apply for an interested person review.

Warning

You must apply for an interested person review within 3 years of the death.

You can apply before or after the death is registered. If you apply before the death is registered, the funeral cannot take place until the review is complete. If you apply after the death is registered, this will not delay the funeral taking place.

How to apply

To apply, complete the interested person review application form and email it – with a copy of the medical certificate or death certificate – to his.dcrs@nhs.scot.

You can also post your application to:

Death Certification Review Service
Healthcare Improvement Scotland
Death Certification Review Service
Gyle Square, I South Gyle
Edinburgh, EH12 9EB

After you apply

If your application is successful, a medical reviewer will review the medical certificate and speak to the doctor who certified it. Healthcare Improvement Scotland will write to you with the outcome of the review.

Interested person reviews normally take 14 working days to complete.

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