diff --git a/care/facility/api/serializers/patient_consultation.py b/care/facility/api/serializers/patient_consultation.py
index e5281bd55f..ae2771b35c 100644
--- a/care/facility/api/serializers/patient_consultation.py
+++ b/care/facility/api/serializers/patient_consultation.py
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ class PatientConsultationSerializer(serializers.ModelSerializer):
 
     verified_by_object = UserBaseMinimumSerializer(source="verified_by", read_only=True)
     verified_by = serializers.PrimaryKeyRelatedField(
-        queryset=User.objects.all(), required=True, allow_null=False
+        queryset=User.objects.all(), required=False, allow_null=True
     )
 
     discharge_reason = serializers.ChoiceField(
@@ -318,19 +318,33 @@ def validate(self, attrs):
         validated = super().validate(attrs)
         # TODO Add Bed Authorisation Validation
 
-        if not validated["verified_by"].user_type == User.TYPE_VALUE_MAP["Doctor"]:
-            raise ValidationError("Only Doctors can verify a Consultation")
-
-        facility = (
-            self.instance and self.instance.facility or validated["patient"].facility
-        )
         if (
-            validated["verified_by"].home_facility
-            and validated["verified_by"].home_facility != facility
+            "suggestion" in validated
+            and validated["suggestion"] != SuggestionChoices.DD
         ):
-            raise ValidationError(
-                "Home Facility of the Doctor must be the same as the Consultation Facility"
+            if "verified_by" not in validated:
+                raise ValidationError(
+                    {
+                        "verified_by": [
+                            "This field is required as the suggestion is not 'Declared Death'"
+                        ]
+                    }
+                )
+            if not validated["verified_by"].user_type == User.TYPE_VALUE_MAP["Doctor"]:
+                raise ValidationError("Only Doctors can verify a Consultation")
+
+            facility = (
+                self.instance
+                and self.instance.facility
+                or validated["patient"].facility
             )
+            if (
+                validated["verified_by"].home_facility
+                and validated["verified_by"].home_facility != facility
+            ):
+                raise ValidationError(
+                    "Home Facility of the Doctor must be the same as the Consultation Facility"
+                )
 
         if "suggestion" in validated:
             if validated["suggestion"] is SuggestionChoices.R:
diff --git a/care/facility/migrations/0385_alter_patientconsultation_verified_by.py b/care/facility/migrations/0385_alter_patientconsultation_verified_by.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..f6fc284274
--- /dev/null
+++ b/care/facility/migrations/0385_alter_patientconsultation_verified_by.py
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+# Generated by Django 4.2.2 on 2023-09-08 15:23
+
+import django.db.models.deletion
+from django.conf import settings
+from django.db import migrations, models
+
+
+class Migration(migrations.Migration):
+    dependencies = [
+        migrations.swappable_dependency(settings.AUTH_USER_MODEL),
+        ("facility", "0384_patientconsultation_verified_by"),
+    ]
+
+    operations = [
+        migrations.AlterField(
+            model_name="patientconsultation",
+            name="verified_by",
+            field=models.ForeignKey(
+                blank=True,
+                null=True,
+                on_delete=django.db.models.deletion.SET_NULL,
+                to=settings.AUTH_USER_MODEL,
+            ),
+        ),
+    ]
diff --git a/care/facility/models/patient_consultation.py b/care/facility/models/patient_consultation.py
index 75f588d1f9..382499996a 100644
--- a/care/facility/models/patient_consultation.py
+++ b/care/facility/models/patient_consultation.py
@@ -144,7 +144,7 @@ class PatientConsultation(PatientBaseModel, PatientRelatedPermissionMixin):
 
     deprecated_verified_by = models.TextField(default="", null=True, blank=True)
     verified_by = models.ForeignKey(
-        User, on_delete=models.SET_NULL, null=True, blank=False
+        User, on_delete=models.SET_NULL, null=True, blank=True
     )
 
     created_by = models.ForeignKey(
diff --git a/care/facility/tests/test_patient_consultation_api.py b/care/facility/tests/test_patient_consultation_api.py
index c98ed783ac..5e11c5743c 100644
--- a/care/facility/tests/test_patient_consultation_api.py
+++ b/care/facility/tests/test_patient_consultation_api.py
@@ -126,7 +126,7 @@ def discharge(self, consultation, **kwargs):
 
     def test_create_consultation_verified_by_invalid_user(self):
         res = self.update_consultation(
-            self.consultation, verified_by=self.state_admin.id
+            self.consultation, verified_by=self.state_admin.id, suggestion="A"
         )
         self.assertEqual(res.status_code, status.HTTP_400_BAD_REQUEST)