SAIF has received an application from a prospective Funeral Director based in Redcar, Cleveland with 2 branches in Redcar and Guisborough
Please log onto the members area and visit the ‘membership pending’ page to see further details.

The Government has today laid before Parliament regulations to ensure all deaths in England and Wales are legally subject to a medical examiner’s scrutiny or a coroner’s investigation.

The changes will come into force on 9th September and “will put all the medical examiner system’s obligations, duties and responsibilities on a statutory footing, and ensure they are recognised by law”.

In a statement to the House of Commons, Maria Caulfield, Minister for Mental Health and Women’s Health Strategy, said the changes would “provide greater transparency on the circumstances surrounding a death”.

She added: “The introduction of medical examiners is part of a broader set of reforms to death certification, coronial and registration processes which will allow for the efficient flow of information between medical practitioners, medical examiners, coroners and registrars in the new system.”

The Minister said this was the “most significant set of reforms to death certification in 70 years”, adding that the Government had allowed additional time to prepare for implementation.

“We are working closely with our partners in Government, local registration services, coronial services and the health service to ensure that the appropriate operational processes are in place to deliver these changes in September 2024,” she said.

There will be further communication regarding legislative changes and operational guidance between now and September 2024.

In March this year, SAIF revealed that the implementation of the Medical Examiner system for England and Wales would not happen during the first half of April, having already been delayed by 12 months.

SAIF has received an application from a prospective Funeral Director based in Harrogate, North Yorkshire
Please log onto the members area and visit the ‘membership pending’ page to see further details.

SAIF has received an application from a prospective Funeral Director based in Wrexham
Please log onto the members area and visit the ‘membership pending’ page to see further details.

SAIF has received an application from a prospective Associate Member based in Godalming, Surrey
Please log onto the members area and visit the ‘membership pending’ page to see further details.

SAIF members in Hull have played a pivotal role in facilitating formal inspections of premises in the wake of the police investigation into care of the deceased at Legacy Independent Funeral Directors. 

And the initiative has been deemed a success by Hull City and East Riding councils, with officials stating that the visits of 50 funeral homes had demonstrated that the Legacy incident was “in no way typical of the funeral industry in our area”.

SAIF’s Immediate Past President Mark Horton hosted the very first inspection by Hull City Council, providing early insights and guidance to council inspectors on what constitutes best practice in the funeral profession.

The councils called on Mark, thanks to his leading advocacy role on behalf of the local funeral profession – and expertise as a SAIF funeral home inspector over many years.

SAIF CEO Terry Tennens said: “We’re pleased to see SAIF funeral directors leading the way across Hull and East Riding by working collaboratively and professionally with the authorities to reassure the public following the police investigation in Hull.

“The council officer visits have been a useful exercise in showing the public how the majority of funeral directors operate, particularly if they are SAIF accredited.”

External scrutiny of premises is part and parcel of being a SAIF member, however, events in Hull have prompted calls for inspections to be made statutory in England. 

Working in partnership with the Ministry of Justice in recent years, SAIF has developed a co-regulation model which, if adopted, would ensure all funeral homes are regularly inspected – not just those who are trade association members. 

The model, in which the Government would authorise trade associations to visit all funeral homes, builds on SAIF achieving ISO 9001:2015 accreditation for its industry leading funeral director quality assurance programme.

Terry added: “The initiative between Hull City Council, SAIF and the NAFD has provided some helpful insights for the funeral profession and government officials. 

“At SAIF, we stand ready to work with independent funeral homes and the authorities to enable proportionate sector-wide visits that maintain the high standards already set by SAIF members. 

“By taking a consultative and collaborative approach with national and local governments, we are confident that we can introduce a workable regulatory system that protects bereaved families and good funeral directors who support them in their time of need.”

We will be closed on Friday 29th March and will re-open on Tuesday 2nd April.

SAIF’s Officers for 2024-2025 were installed at the AGM Weekend in York on Sunday 24th March.

The photo shows (left to right) 2nd VP Gary Staker, Immediate Past President Mark Horton, President Declan Maguire and 1st VP Ross Hickton.

Declan Maguire is SAIF’s National President for 2024/25. Dec is a director at Anderson Maguire Funeral Service in Glasgow and has been a long standing member of SAIF’s Executive Committee.

His chosen charity of the year is My Name’5 Dobbie which fundraises for research into a cure for Motor Neuron Disease.

SAIF has been advised by His Majesty’s Revenue & Customs (HMRC) with an update on customs requirements when moving human remains from Great Britain to Northern Ireland.

SAIF Members may login to the Members’ area then use this link to read the information.