In early September, the NAFD is hosting a final preparation webinar for members, ahead of statutory implementation of the Medical Examiner service in England and Wales on 9 September. The webinar, which is designed to try and address of the remaining questions about the changes, follows on from one held earlier in the year with the National Medical Examiner Dr Alan Fletcher and a series of briefing emails and guidance articles, designed to support funeral firms in understanding the new regulations and processes.
The NAFD has worked closely with the Ministry of Justice on the development of the Statutory Medical Examiner scheme for some time – and fed back extensive comments on the draft regulations and the accompanying guidance. Along with other sector colleagues, we had repeatedly advised government that a six-month lead in time would be necessary to ensure that the sector is fully prepared for the changes, which was not forthcoming, as the announcement about the statutory implementation date, in April, has left barely four and a half months for the funeral sector to prepare for the changes.
Members have been sent details on how to register in a wider briefing note on the plans for 9 September