Natural deaths are those where the deceased was being attended to regularly by a medical doctor (within at least three months of death) and where the cause of death is not under reasonable doubt by the medical doctor.

If a person dies of natural causes at home, you should:

• Report death to the police
• Visit the last doctor who saw the deseased (at least three months before the death.) The physician will complete and sign a Medical Certificate of the Cause of Death
• The Medical Certificate of the Cause of Death should then be taken to the Local District Registrar, where the death will be registered and the Burial Order issued.

If a person dies of natural causes in a hospital:

• After a death occurs in the hospital, the attending physician completes and signs a Medical Certificate of the Cause of Death.
• The Medical Certificate is then issued to a relative or the person responsible for burial.
• It should then be taken to the LDR, where the death will be registered and the Burial Order issued