Chapter 11: Symptom control and care towards the end of life
Skip chapter table of contents and go to main content
Clinical governance
Only medical practitioners can certify a death; however, specifically trained nursing staff can confirm or verify an expected death. National guidance and competencies are available. Once they have been deemed competent, a nurse is able to undertake this procedure independently (Hospice UK [64], Laverty et al. [80]). It is hoped that this guidance will prevent untimely delays in the verification process and thus help to support the family and loved ones at a difficult time.
