Introduction
Confirmation or verification of death is defined as deciding whether a person is actually deceased. Confirmation or verification of death can be undertaken by a registered nurse, however you must check your employer's policies to determine local agreements about the circumstances in which this can be done. Certification of death requires a registered medical practitioner.
Please read Care After Death: Registered Nurse Verification of Expected Adult Death (RNVoEAD) guidance (3rd Edition, November 2019) from the Hospice UK website for more detail.
COVID-19
For specific information on COVID-19, please also see COVID-19 guidance on DNACPR and verification of death.