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Hospital Circular 14 /2005

Date Issued: 24 June 2005

Distribution: Public and private hospitals and residential aged care services

Attention: Chief Medical Officers and administrative staff as appropriate

Subject: Urgent Action – Do you have the new medical certificate of cause of death

1. The new Cemeteries and Crematoria Act 2003 and Cemeteries and Crematoria Regulations 2005 are effective from 1 July 2005.
   
2. From 1 July 2005 new cemeteries laws ¹ will require doctors certifying death to use the latest Medical Certificate of Cause of Death - see attached example certificate (PDF File 556KB)(Download Help).
   
3. To assist in the initial period of the new legislative arrangements the Department of Human Services and Births Deaths and Marriages are arranging to have a small supply of the required Medical Certificate of Cause of Death provided directly to your agency. You should ensure that these are provided to the relevant staff in your agency.
   
4. If your agency does not have the new certificates before 1 July 2005 please call the Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages on 1300 369 367 or use the order form at the Department of Victorian Communities’ website at www.dvc.vic.gov.au/bdm.htm (click on “Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages,” scroll down to the row called “Online Birth and Death Notification” and click on “Medical Practitioners only”).
   
5. From 1 July 2005 new cemeteries laws also mean that new forms for authorising cremation will replace the current four page blue Departmental “Application for Cremation” form. From 1 July, the blue Departmental “Application for Cremation” form may no longer be used and should be destroyed.
   
6. Under the new laws, in the case of cremations, doctors certifying death will only need to complete the current version of the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death form. They will not need to complete an additional medical certificate (ie. there will be no form corresponding to the middle two pages of the current blue “Application for Cremation” form).
   
7. These changes are summarised in further detail in the attached table (PDF File 32KB)(Download Help) .
   
8. If you require further information call the Department of Human Services on 1800 034 280 or 9637 4824 or visit www.health.vic.gov.au/cemeteries

ENDORSED:

DR C W BROOK
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
RURAL AND REGIONAL HEALTH AND AGED CARE SERVICES

Section 131, Cemeteries and Crematoria Act 2003; Regulations 8 and 9, Cemeteries and Crematoria Regulations 2005