Death and end of life

This guidance is for funeral directors to help manage their services during the current pandemic.

Guidance to help places of worship consider how to safely provide funeral services, as a permitted activity.

This guidance is for burial and cremation authorities to help manage their services and also their funeral services during the current pandemic.

This guidance explains what restrictions are currently in place for funeral services and wider public health guidance relevant for funeral services.

Guidance for medical practitioners on the electronic transfer of medical certificates of cause of death (MCCD) from health services to registrars and next of kin during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Determination under para 9(1) of the Coronavirus Act 2020 suspending the duties in relation to handling ashes that are normally placed on funeral directors, cremation authorities and local authorities.

Determination under para 8(1) of the Coronavirus Act 2020 relaxing arrangements around who can arrange a funeral.

New system in place.

Direction under Paragraph 2(2) of Schedule 14 (Review of medical certificates of cause of death and cremations: Scotland) of the Coronavirus Act 2020 (C.7).

Extra help to pay for funerals.  

Report by Professor Gordon Findlater, Inspector of Anatomy, detailing inspection outcomes and duties undertaken.

A National Statistics publication for Scotland.

Scottish Government delivering sixth social security benefit.

Improved financial support to help with bereavement costs

Report on the introduction of a regulatory model including Progressive Licensing scheme for Funeral Directors in Scotland.

Guide to planning your own funeral including help with costs.

Report compiled by Robert Swanson, Inspector of Crematoria, for the purpose of providing Scottish Ministers with a resume of duties undertaken in the role during the period 1 April 2018 to 31 March 2019.

Consultation on a draft statutory code of practice for funeral directors. Funeral directors will be inspected against this code once it comes into force.

Draft statutory code of practice for funeral directors. Funeral directors will be inspected against this code once it comes into force.

Human Tissue law passes Stage 3.

Guidance on funeral costs published under Section 98 of the Burial and Cremation (Scotland) Act 2016.

Recommendations to make clear cost information available.

Key principles and minimum standards for all organisations conducting infant cremations in Scotland, as agreed by the National Committee on Burial and Cremation. This edition reflects the implementation of the Cremation (Scotland) Regulations 2019.

Statutory forms and related guidance to be used as a requirement of the Cremation (Scotland) Regulations 2019 which came into force on 4 April 2019.

Latest on proposed opt-out system.

Scotland’s organ donor registrations reaches half the population.

Legislation for a soft opt out system introduced to Parliament.

Agreement will remove financial burden from families