When a death occurs

Below are some notes to help guide you through what to do next. However, you may prefer to discuss the next steps personally and if so, we would ask that you please call us on 01953 889328. We are here to help and we will guide you through every step of the arrangements.

If an expected death occurs at home

If an expected death occurs at home you should contact your nursing team or surgery as soon as possible, even if this is out of hours, there is always someone on duty to speak to. They will then advise you if you are able to call your chosen funeral director to arrange for your loved one to be taken into the care of their Chapel of Rest.

When a death occurs in a hospital or a nursing home

If the death has occurred in a hospital, they will have a bereavement office or a patient services department that will arrange all the necessary paperwork for you. You will be given their contact details and be asked to call them to arrange an appointment.

If the death has occurred in a nursing home the staff will contact the doctor for you. If you haven’t already done so they will ask you to confirm your chosen funeral director whom they will contact on your behalf to arrange for your loved one to be taken into the care of their Chapel of Rest.

For expected deaths at home, in hospital or a nursing home, over the following days the doctor will issue the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death (MCCD) and the surgery will send this to the Medical Examiner.  The Medical Examiner will be in contact with you to explain what has been given as the cause of death on the MCCD and once this has been agreed, they will then forwarded the MCCD to the Registrar’s Office. Once the Medical Examiner’s office or surgery has informed you that the MCCD has been sent to the Registrar, you will then need to book an appointment at the Registrar’s office. For more details on Registering a Death please click here. 

If an unexpected deaths occurs at home

If a death was unexpected this can be referred to as a sudden or unexpected death and may be reported to HM Coroner and the police will need to be contacted. The police act on behalf of HM Coroner and they will contact a contracted funeral director who will remove the deceased and take them into the care of the hospital where a post-mortem examination may need to be carried out. A Coroner’s Officer will keep you informed of what is happening. You are able to contact your chosen funeral director and advise them of what has happened and start to make funeral arrangements.