Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 14 May 2020 to Question 4387, whether he has had discussions with the ONS on the potential under-reporting of deaths in the community from covid-19 as the result of GPs not being present to complete medical certificates of cause of death since 1 March 2020; and if he will make a statement.

In response to the provisions in the Coronavirus Act 2020 in relation to death certification, the General Register Office/Home Office and the Office for National Statistics published revised guidance to medical practitioners completing medical certificates cause of death (MCCD) for a period of emergency. This guidance confirms that COVID-19 is an acceptable direct or underlying cause of death for the purposes of completing the MCCD.

Both in a non-emergency period and an emergency period, medical practitioners are expected to state the cause of death to the best of their knowledge and belief and are not required to be in the presence of the deceased when completing the MCCD. The certifying medical practitioner should have access to relevant medical records and the results of investigations.