Anya, a GP at a neighbouring practice, called, wondering if I’d complete a Part 2. This is a statutory procedure before a body can be cremated. The deceased patient’s regular doctor fills out a form, known colloquially as the Part 1, which details the circumstances of the death. An independent practitioner of at least five years’ standing who was not involved in the case has to corroborate the information in the Part 2. The paperwork is then sent to the medical referee at the crematorium, who has to be satisfied that there is nothing untoward.
I took down the details. Anya’s patient had been relatively young, at 65. She described a story of progressive renal failure, caused by an inflammatory condition called interstitial nephritis, which had eventually led to his demise. The thing that piqued my interest was when Anya mentioned that the nephritis had been triggered by a proton pump inhibitor (PPI).
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