NEW ZEALAND HEALTH INFORMATION SERVICE
Medical Certificates of Causes of Death
- Changes to the Medical Certificates of Causes of Death – Births, Deaths and Marriages (BDM) forms
- Details of changes to the forms
- How to obtain the new Medical Certificate of Cause of Death forms
- Information for Certifiers
- Information for Funeral Directors
- Amendments to Burial and Cremation Act 1964 and Cremation Regulations 1973
- Changes to Burial and Cremation Act 1964
- Changes to Cremation Regulations 1973
Changes to the Medical Certificates of Causes of Death – Births, Deaths and Marriages (BDM) forms
From 25 January 2009 new Ministry of Health Medical Certificate Cause of Death forms were introduced. These changes were made as a result of amendments to the Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration Act 1995 (now the Births, Deaths, Marriages and Relationships Registration Act 1995) and consequential amendments to the Burial and Cremation Act 1964.This means:
- the administration of these forms has transferred from Births, Deaths and Marriages to the Ministry of Health
- forms are now obtained from Wickliffe Ltd
- form reference numbers have changed
- completed forms are now sent directly to the Ministry of Health
- the new Medical Certificate of Cause of Death is more closely aligned to the World Health Organization international standard form.
Details of changes to the forms
The Medical Certificate of Causes of Death form BDM 50 has been replaced with form HP4720. This form has been slightly revised, but has been kept in much the same format.- Changes include additional fields for:
- deceased’s National Health Index (NHI) number
- discussed with coroner
- pregnant at time of death
- certifier’s Health Practitioner Index – Common Person Number (HPI-CPN).
- removal of the ethnic group fields (this information is obtained from other sources)
- revised post-mortem question.
The Medical Certificate of Causes of Fetal and Neonatal Death form BDM 167 has been replaced with form HP4721. This form has been slightly revised but has been kept in much the same format.
Changes to this form are:
- Infant and Mother sections have swapped places
- additional fields for deceased’s and mother’s NHI numbers
- revised post-mortem question
- removal of mother’s ethnic groups
- addition of certifier’s HPI-CPN.
Medical practitioners who certify causes of death (certifiers) should commence using the new Ministry of Health forms (HP4720 and HP4721). The Ministry will continue to accept BDM 50 and BDM 167 forms until medical practitioners have obtained the new forms - at this point remaining stocks of the Births, Deaths and Marriages forms (BDM 50 and BDM 167) should be destroyed.
How to obtain the new Medical Certificate of Cause of Death forms
The forms are available in pads of 20 (with carbon copies), and can be ordered from Wickliffe Ltd via email or telephone. The contact details for Wickliffe are:Email: moh@wickliffe.co.nz
Telephone: 04 496 2277
When ordering stocks of the new forms please quote the form reference numbers:
Medical Certificate of Cause of Death – HP4720 (previously BDM 50).
Medical Certificate of Causes of Fetal and Neonatal Death – HP4721 (previously BDM 167).
Information for Certifiers
All medical certificates are given to the funeral director or person in charge of the body, as was the previous practice.Information for Funeral Directors
Funeral directors are still required to complete the Notification of Death for Registration form (BDM 28) and send it to Births, Deaths and Marriages at the address provided on the bottom of the front page of the form. Medical Certificate of Cause of Death forms (HP4720 and HP4721) should be mailed, preferably in weekly batches, directly to the Ministry of Health at the following address:Mortality Administration
Mortality Collection
Ministry of Health
PO Box 5013
Lambton Quay
Wellington 6145
If you have any questions or would like more information please contact Mortality Administration, email: mortality_administration@moh.govt.nz
Amendments to Burial and Cremation Act 1964 and Cremation Regulations 1973
As a result of the passage of the Births, Deaths, Marriages and Relationships Registration Amendment Act 2008 and the Cremation Amendment Regulations 2008, amendments have been made to the Cremation Regulations 1973 and the Burial and Cremation Act 1964 (both administered by the Ministry of Health). These amendments came into force on 25 January 2009 or earlier. Here are summaries of the changes.Changes to Burial and Cremation Act 1964
- new definitions are inserted in section 2
- section 46AA provides that a body must not be buried, cremated, or otherwise disposed of unless the person in charge of the disposal has obtained a doctor’s certificate or a coroner’s authorisation. The person in charge of the disposal must send a copy of the doctor’s certificate or coroner’s authorisation to the Ministry of Health
- section 46A continues to set out the requirements in relation to the disposal of still-born children
- section 46B sets out the procedures for a doctor’s certificate if a person dies after an illness (previously section 37 of the Births, Deaths and Marriages Act)
- section 46C sets out the procedures for a doctor’s certificate in relation to accidents involving elderly persons (previously section 38 of the Births, Deaths and Marriages Act)
- section 46E sets out the procedures for bodies to be disposed of within a reasonable time (previously section 39 of the Births, Deaths and Marriages Act)
- section 46F sets out the requirement for the transfer of charge of a body (previously section 40 of the Births, Deaths and Marriages Act)
- section 54AA sets out offences concerning a doctor’s certificate or a certificate relating to a still-birth. A person who contravenes or fails to comply with section 46AA or 46A commits an offence and is liable, on summary conviction, to a fine not exceeding $1,000.
Changes to Cremation Regulations 1973
The substantive amendments:- amend regulation 7(1) to clarify what certificates are required before a medical referee may permit a cremation
- amend regulation 7(1) to enable the required medical practitioner’s certificate to be given by any medical practitioner required or permitted to give a doctor’s certificate for the death under the Burial and Cremation Act 1964
- align the medical practitioner’s certificate (form B of Schedule 1) with the amendments to regulation 7(1)
- provide a new certificate (new form C of Schedule 1) that may be given if a death has been reported under the Coroners Act 2006 to a coroner, and a coroner is satisfied there are no circumstances likely to call for an examination or, as the case may be, a further examination, of the body
- revoke but do not replace, Form D (because, under the Coroners Act 2006, only a coroner can direct a pathologist to perform a post-mortem of a body).
Page last updated 15 February 2010
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