A FUNERAL director in Christchurch is campaigning to change the way deaths are registered.

Miller Bros. & F.P. Butler Ltd is calling for signatures on a petition to change the Death Registration Act of 1953 to enable families to register a death remotely.

Before the pandemic, a bereaved family would have to provide a Medical Death Certificate to the Registry Office to register a death in-person.

The government implemented temporary arrangements during the pandemic to allow registrations to be done remotely.

It meant personal contact was minimised, in a system described as “efficient” and “prompt” by Miller Bros. & F.P. Butler.

Now, the funeral director wants to keep this service, and have launched a page petitioning for the remote registrations to continue.

It reads: “We want the Government to allow deaths to be registered in line with the temporary provisions of the Coronavirus Act 2020, which allowed deaths to be registered remotely, medical practitioners to sign death certificates without having attended the deceased, and documents be submitted electronically.

“We believe this would be a more efficient, cost effective, modern approach, and would benefit bereaved families by allowing them to register a death remotely without a physical appointment, create opportunities for registrars to work from home should the need arise, reduce restrictions on completing documentation associated with a death, and reduce the impact on the environment by reducing the need to travel to appointments.”

The petition can be viewed at https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/622375