When a patient dies in a hospital, the medical staff is obliged to follow specific rules. What are the formalities? By what deadline must the death be reported?

  1. The rules for treating the body after death are set out in the laws and detailed regulations of the facility
  2. First, it is pronounced dead. Later, the body can go to the cold store, but only after a certain period of time. It is transported by a special elevator
  3. Not only the family, but also some institutions have the right to collect the body
  4. You can find more such stories on the TvoiLokony home page

The first step on the part of the hospital staff is to declare death. This is done by the doctor. The nurse then fills in a form for referral to a cold store, but the body cannot be sent there until after two hours. During this time, the hospital must organize a place where the body will be stored.

Death in hospital. How is the body transported?

An ID card is placed on the hand or foot of the deceased. Two hours after declaring death occurs transport of the body to a cold store, located in the dissecting room on the hospital premises. This is done through a special communication route with the use of an elevator adapted to this and in a specially designed means of transport, i.e. sealed capsule.

we recommend: New rules for declaring deaths. Changes in the regulations are coming

Death in hospital. Who has the right to collect the body?

The body will be stored in the cold store until the body is identified and collected. A person authorized to do so or an institution can collect the body. The right to collect the body is a spouse or spouse, descendants (child, grandson, great-grandson), ascendants (parents, grandparents), side relatives up to the fourth degree (e.g. brother, father’s brother, father’s brother’s son) and relatives in a straight line to the first degree (father-in-law, mother-in-law).

Some institutions also have the right to burial. For example: soldiers who died in active service can be buried by the army, and people of merit – by appropriate state bodies.

Death notification. What formalities must be dealt with after the death of a relative?

Collecting a body is preceded by identification. This is certified in the identification certificate and is carried out with the participation of a hospital employee.

Before handing over a body, the hospital has a duty wash the body of the deceased and cover itwhile maintaining the respect due to the deceased. The clothes of the deceased belongs to the pickup person or the funeral director.

The hospital also has a duty issue a death certificate issued by the physician who declared death. The death certificate will be needed to register the death at the registry office and collect the death certificate. The death report should be made within 3 days from the date of issuing the death certificate, and when the death occurred as a result of an infectious disease, the report is made within 24 hours from the death.

The editorial board recommends:

  1. Our brain does not die with the body. What happens to him after he dies?
  2. Change to soap, squeaks and excretions. This is how our body behaves after death
  3. Mysterious disappearance of a young doctor. After two decades, it is still unknown whether she died on September 11

The content of the medTvoiLokony website is intended to improve, not replace, the contact between the Website User and their doctor. The website is intended for informational and educational purposes only. Before following the specialist knowledge, in particular medical advice, contained on our Website, you must consult a doctor. The Administrator does not bear any consequences resulting from the use of information contained on the Website.

Do you need a medical consultation or an e-prescription? Go to halodoctor.pl, where you will get online help – quickly, safely and without leaving your home.

Leave a Reply