To: Boris Johnson - Primeminster
The government must record ethicity on all death certificates - NOW
The governemnt said in October 2020, they need to record the ethnicity of BAME people, owing to health disparties during the pandemic. This needs to be done now, but must also become law.
Why is this important?
During the COVID 19 pandemic, death certificates does not record the ethnic background of the deceased, making the data less reliable. The following statement was taken from the Office of National Statistics:
'1.The purposes of death certification:Prompt and accurate certification of death is essential as it serves a number of functions. A medical certificate of cause of death (MCCD) enables the deceased’s family to register the death. This provides a permanent legal record of the fact of death and enables the family to arrange disposal of the body, and to settle the deceased’s estate'
There is no referance made to the ethnicity. This needs to change to ensure accurate and prompt data is available on a local level. For those who have lost their loved ones during this time, people would be appalled to know that this data is missing. It will be easier to identyfy 'hot-spots'. Are more people dying in one particular area or are the death more widespread. My father's death a few years ago, does not record who he was. His heritage was part of his life and should be recorded at his death. COVID has rasied this issue and the importance of it cannot be ignored.
