The Queen's death certificate has been released and the cause of her passing has officially been ruled as old age.
Her Majesty was 96 at the time of her passing at Balmoral Castle on Thursday September 8, 2022. The document, released by the National Records of Scotland, further revealed her exact time of death to be 3.10pm.
As the UK's longest serving monarch, the Queen's 70 year reign is proof that she led a long and fulfilling life. But the term "old age" is a broad statement, and there are further questions as to what qualifies this in medical terms.
According to the NHS, death certifications must be composed under strict guidelines, set out by the Chief Medical Officer of the Scottish Government.
Under these rules, a doctor must have enough information to state "the best of knowledge and belief" of what disease causes a patient's death.
For example, it is not enough for a medical professional to say that a person has died in simple terms like "natural causes" or "organ failure" without some form of underlying causes.
But old age can be ruled as a cause of death if multiple factors are seen within a patient. It can not be determined as a sole cause for anyone unless the certifying doctor:
Has personally cared for the deceased over a long period (meaning years, or many months)
Has observed a gradual decline in the patient's general health and functioning
Is not aware of any identifiable disease or injury that contributed to the death
When the certifying doctor is certain that there is no other reason that the death should be reported to the Procurator Fiscal
If the patient is 80 years or older and all the conditions listed above are met.
If these can not be determined, a death certificate can not be made. In some cases, a bereavement will be reported to the Procurator Fiscal to ensure that the cause of death can be determined.
This is done so any sudden, suspicious, accidental or unexplained deaths can be investigated further. This was not necessary for The Queen.
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