Health practitioners
A medical professional can report a death directly to the Coroners Court where they seek either:
- advice from the coroner about whether a death is reportable, and
- the coroner's authority to issue a death certificate because the cause of death is known and no autopsy or investigation appears necessary.
Process to report
Complete the Form 1A - Medical practioner report of death to a coroner (PDF, 577.1 KB) and submit with the following documents:
- discharge summary,
- recent admission notes, and
- draft Form 9 cause of death certificate.
Email: CCQF1A@justice.qld.gov.au
Seek Advice
As a medical professional, if you’re unsure whether a death is reportable, assistance is available:
Forensic Medicine Queensland (FMQ)
Forensic medical officer on duty - phone: (07) 3722 1300 (during business hours)
The Coronial Registrar or the on-call Coroner
- Coronial Registrar: (07) 3738 7050 or 1300 304 605 (during business hours)
- On-call Coroner: (07) 3738 7166 (after business hours)
The publications below provide information about whether a death is reportable and practitioner reporting obligations:
Information for health professionals (PDF, 451.6 KB)
Issuing cause of death certificates for apparent natural causes deaths (PDF, 98.5 KB)
Deaths in care (PDF, 245.4 KB)
Deaths of aged care residents (PDF, 339.1 KB)
Deaths of people with a disability information sheet (PDF, 246.0 KB)
Deaths in care (disability) - Factsheet
Attributing deaths to COVID-19 vaccines - a guide for medical practitioners | Queensland Health
All you need to know about recording and reporting COVID-19 deaths | Queensland Health
Further information – Health Pathways
Did you know that information for GPs about Certification of Death can be found on HealthPathways? To find out how HealthPathways in your area, contact your local PHN.
HealthPathways provides advice on the topics below:
Did you know that you can issue a death certificate for an apparent natural cause death even if you do not know the exact cause of death? Your opinion about the probable cause of death based on what you know of the patient’s situation is sufficient.
Did you know that you don’t have to have seen the patient within the last 3 months in order to complete their Death Certificate?
Did you know that just because someone had a health care intervention within the last 4 weeks does not mean their death is necessarily reportable?