What to do when someone dies

In Hospital or Hospice

When a death occurs in hospital or hospice, it is usually expected by the doctors treating the patient. This means that the doctor will be able to issue a Cause of Death Certificate which in turn is used to register the death.

The medical cause of death certificate is usually issued via the bereavement officer at the hospital and can be collected by arrangement with them.

If for any reason the doctor feels they are not in a position to issue the cause of death certificate they will refer the case to the Coroner who will decide whether a certificate can be issued or whether further investigation is necessary.

If further investigation is required, a Post Mortem Examination may be ordered, this is usually to determine the exact cause of death. In most cases this will not necessarily cause delay in making funeral arrangements.

After the Coroner has carried out their investigations, they will release the body to the funeral director and supply the Register Office with the appropriate paperwork for the family to attend and register the death.

You can reach out to our funeral directors 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, for any advice or to start making provisional arrangements.

At Home

When death occurs at a private residence, the first call is to the normal doctor or duty on call doctor. Only after the doctor has confirmed death can the funeral director take the deceased into their care. The deceased’s own doctor will issue the Medical Cause of Death Certificate to the family who can then register the death.

If the death is unexpected, the death may be reported to the Coroner in which case the police will attend on the Coroner’s behalf and the *Coroner’s nominated funeral director will be called to remove the deceased to hospital to await further investigations. After the Coroner has carried out their investigations, they will release the body to the funeral director and supply the Register Office with the appropriate paperwork for the family to attend and register the death.

*Please note – You are under no obligation to use the Coroner’s funeral director for funeral arrangements. They are only contracted to convey the deceased to hospital, or store the body until it can be taken to the hospital if out of normal working hours.

Contact us on 01904 593096, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, for support through this process.