A post-mortem is an examination after death to help establish the cause. The examination, release of the body and final report have separate timelines: further tests can continue after the funeral is allowed. In England and Wales, ask whether the coroner or hospital is arranging it, who will update you and when funeral arrangements can be confirmed.
Three dates to ask about separately
Examination: has it been scheduled, and who will explain whether more tests are needed?
Release: who will tell the funeral director that collection and funeral arrangements may proceed?
Results: when should the appropriate family contact expect an update, and how can they request the report?
Does every death in hospital require a post-mortem?
No. A death in hospital does not automatically mean a post-mortem is required. Ask the hospital bereavement team whether the cause can be certified, whether the death has been referred to the coroner, and whether an examination is requested or ordered.
Is a post-mortem report the same as a death certificate?
No. The report records examination findings; a death certificate is part of death registration. Ask the case contact which document is available now and what can be used for practical administration while an investigation continues.
Useful services and next steps
For England and Wales, GOV.UK explains the coroner’s release decision and the documents used when an inquest is needed. Check the official coroner process
After the sudden or unexpected death of a baby or young child, The Lullaby Trust has a practical guide covering the post-mortem, care afterwards, registration and funeral arrangements. Its support complements the updates from the hospital and investigating authority. Read The Lullaby Trust’s practical guide
Once the relevant authority confirms the next step, check the registration process rather than assuming the examination report registers the death. Registering a death and the required documents
Keep three practical questions together
Who will tell the family when the body can be released?
Which certificate or other document is available while the investigation continues?
How and when can the appropriate person request information about the findings?
Example enquiry: “Please confirm whether the examination is arranged by the coroner or hospital, who will update us, and whether we can make provisional funeral arrangements while awaiting release.”
Does release of the body mean every investigation is finished?
Not necessarily. Ask separately about release for the funeral, outstanding tests and any further coroner process. These can have different timelines.
Should I book a fixed funeral date before release is confirmed?
Discuss timing with the funeral director and the responsible authority. Make clear which arrangements are provisional so that a change does not create avoidable costs or confusion.
GOV.UK explains that the coroner releases the body once the necessary examinations have been carried out. The case contact can explain the actual documents and timing; a general guide cannot promise a release date. Use the coroner’s instructions for the case
If an inquest is opened, the next steps and the purpose of that hearing are explained separately here. Inquest: what happens and family preparation
Why is a post-mortem carried out?
A post-mortem is done to establish how someone died when that is not already clear. It is carried out by a pathologist, a doctor who specialises in the causes of disease and death, following standards set by the Royal College of Pathologists and the Human Tissue Authority. The NHS describes two kinds of post-mortem, and the difference matters a great deal for families.
A coroner's post-mortem is ordered when the cause of death is unknown, or the death was sudden, violent, unexpected or unnatural. Its aim is to find out how the person died and whether an inquest is needed.
A hospital post-mortem is requested by hospital doctors to learn more about an illness or the cause of death, or for medical research. A relative can also ask for one.
Since 9 September 2024, every death in England and Wales that is not referred to a coroner is reviewed by an independent medical examiner. The medical examiner's office will also talk to the family and is a good place to ask questions if you are unsure why a death has been referred.
When does a coroner order a post-mortem?
A senior coroner can ask a doctor to carry out a post-mortem when they are investigating a death, or when an examination is needed to decide whether an investigation is necessary, under section 14 of the Coroners and Justice Act 2009. The NHS gives examples such as sudden infant death, suicide, overdose, accidents, and deaths during or soon after a hospital procedure.
GOV.UK explains that a coroner may decide a post-mortem is needed even if they will not go on to investigate. If the examination shows a natural cause, the coroner sends a form to the registrar and you can then register the death; our guide to registering a death explains that step. If the cause is still unknown, or the death may have been violent or unnatural, the coroner opens an inquest.
Do families have to give consent for a post-mortem?
It depends on who asks for it. For a coroner's post-mortem, no consent is needed because the coroner is required by law to establish the cause of death. GOV.UK is direct about this: you cannot object to a coroner's post-mortem. However, if you ask, the coroner must tell you, and the person's GP, when and where it will take place. You can explain religious or personal concerns to the coroner's office as early as you can.
A hospital post-mortem is different: it can only go ahead with consent. Under the Human Tissue Act 2004, that consent comes first from the person themselves, if they gave it during life, then from someone they nominated, and otherwise from the closest person in a ranked list of qualifying relationships set out in section 27(4) of the Act: a spouse, civil partner or partner first, then a parent or child, then a brother or sister, and so on down to a friend of long standing. The Human Tissue Authority notes that "next of kin" has no legal standing in this decision. You can agree to a limited examination of certain parts of the body only, and the NHS notes that the Human Tissue Authority recommends at least 24 hours to decide, with contact details in case you change your mind.
How long does a post-mortem take, and will the funeral be delayed?
According to the NHS, a post-mortem is usually carried out within 2 to 3 working days of the death, sometimes within 24 hours. Some tests on tissue samples can take several weeks, but that does not always hold up the funeral. The organs examined are returned to the body afterwards, and you can usually see the person once the examination is over.
The coroner releases the body once no further examinations are needed, and the funeral director you choose can then collect it. If there is no inquest, the coroner sends form CN2 to the registrar with the cause of death and, if the person is to be cremated, a coroner's cremation certificate (form Cremation 6). If an inquest is opened, you can still hold the funeral once the body is released, and you can ask the coroner for an interim death certificate to apply for probate or use Tell Us Once while you wait.
Can a post-mortem be avoided for religious reasons?
In some communities, including many Jewish and Muslim families, burial ideally takes place on the day of death or very soon after, and an invasive examination may be a serious concern. Other families have no religious view but simply cannot bear the thought of it. Whatever your reason, tell the coroner's office as early as you can.
Coroners can speed things up. The Chief Coroner's Guidance No. 28 says coroners may treat a death as urgent at a family's request, including for religious reasons, and should show appropriate respect for religious and cultural wishes. Following a 2018 High Court case (R (Adath Yisroel Burial Society) v Senior Coroner for Inner North London [2018] EWHC 969 (Admin)), a coroner cannot lawfully adopt a policy that rules out prioritising a death on religious grounds, though there is no automatic right to priority.
Coroners can also use a CT or MRI scan instead of, or alongside, an invasive post-mortem. The Chief Coroner's Guidance No. 1 on post-mortem imaging says families can request it but the coroner decides, imaging is not suitable as the only investigation where a death is suspicious, and families should be told that a conventional examination may still be needed. Availability varies and coroners are not expected to offer scans free in every case, so ask what is possible locally and whether there is a cost.
What happens to organs and tissue taken during a post-mortem?
The pathologist may keep tissue samples, or sometimes organs, for further tests. The NHS notes that samples may be kept until after an inquest, and in suspicious deaths the police may keep them as evidence, sometimes for months or years. When material is kept, the Coroners (Investigations) Regulations 2013, regulation 14 require the next of kin or personal representative to be told that it is being kept, for how long, and their options once that period ends: lawful disposal (burial, cremation or other means) by the pathologist, return of the material to the family, or keeping it for research or other purposes with the family's consent.
How do you get the post-mortem results?
For a coroner's post-mortem, the coroner or coroner's officer will tell you the cause of death. You can ask the coroner's office for a copy of the full report, which may involve a fee. For a hospital post-mortem, ask the hospital for the results, again possibly for a small fee, and you can go through them with the doctor who cared for the person or with your GP. Reports are written in medical language, so it is reasonable to ask a doctor to explain anything that is unclear. Hospital bereavement officers are often the best first contact.
Is it different in Scotland and Northern Ireland?
In Scotland, deaths are investigated by the procurator fiscal rather than a coroner. Sudden, suspicious or unexplained deaths are reported to the procurator fiscal, who can order a post-mortem; mygov.scot confirms that next of kin's consent is not required, but asks families with cultural or religious objections to tell the procurator fiscal as soon as possible. The investigation can lead to a Fatal Accident Inquiry, and the death can be registered once a death certificate is issued. A hospital post-mortem in Scotland needs authorisation under the Human Tissue (Scotland) Act 2006 rather than consent under the 2004 Act.
In Northern Ireland, coroners investigate reportable deaths and next of kin do not need to consent to a coroner's post-mortem. nidirect explains that the family can have a doctor of their choice present at the examination, that a coroner's liaison officer shares preliminary findings, and that the death cannot be registered until the investigation ends. If a coroner decides an inquest is needed, our guide to what happens at an inquest explains the next steps.
Frequently asked questions: Post-mortem
Can you refuse a post-mortem in the UK?
You cannot refuse a post-mortem ordered by a coroner (or by the procurator fiscal in Scotland), but you can raise religious or personal concerns and ask about a scan. A hospital post-mortem follows the applicable consent or authorisation process; the legally appropriate person can decline. It is not a decision every relative can make independently.
Can you see the body after a post-mortem?
Usually, yes. The pathologist returns the organs to the body after the examination, and the funeral director can advise on viewing.
How long after a post-mortem can the funeral take place?
The funeral can go ahead once the coroner releases the body, which happens when no further examinations are needed. An open inquest does not by itself stop the funeral, but a criminal investigation can delay the release.
Can you get a copy of the post-mortem report?
Yes. Ask the coroner's office for a coroner's post-mortem, or the hospital for a hospital post-mortem. The NHS notes that a fee may apply for a copy of the full report.
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