Luxembourg is failing at death certification

There is growing concern in Luxembourg about problems with death certificates. Thorsten Schwark, head of the forensic medicine department at the National Health Laboratory (LNS), told RTL that most doctors rarely encounter such situations because of the relatively low number of deaths (about 4,000-4,500 per year). Lack of experience and uncertainty make doctors reluctant participants in this process.

But the main reason, according to Schwark, is about priorities. Doctors make money by treating living patients. Visiting a deceased person is not only an unscheduled workload, but also a waste of time to the detriment of the current appointment. Moreover, in Luxembourg there is no legal obligation for a doctor to attend such calls. As a consequence, families of the deceased are forced to call dozens of medics in search of someone who will agree to come. Even the police who arrive on the scene are hampered by the lack of prompt medical assistance.

The solution, according to Schwark, would be a specialised service solely responsible for examining the deceased. Such doctors would receive targeted training and follow a clear legal procedure, including the obligation to contact the deceased's GP for medical information. This would improve the quality of reports and reduce waiting times.

A similar system is already in place in some German federal states, where travelling to the place of death is a legal obligation. In Luxembourg, the topic has attracted the attention of the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Justice, and discussions are underway on possible reforms. Schwark is cautiously optimistic, expecting concrete solutions to emerge in the coming years.