Guidance on what to do when death occurs

Guidance on what to do when death occurs

What to do next

At this difficult time there is much to do and many decisions that have to be made. It can all seem quite overwhelming but we are here to help, support and advise you 24 hours a day.

 

See below for a simple guide on what to do next:-


 If death occurred at home and is expected: Contact the deceased's GP's surgery and a GP will come and verify death. A community nurse may also be able to verify death. You may then contact your chosen Funeral Director for them to take the deceased into their care. 

If there is no Coroner involvement (see below) the GP will issue a Medical Certificate of Cause of Death, which will either be sent directly to the Register Office or available for you to collect from the surgery. This is required for you to be able to register the death.

 

If death occurred at home and is unexpected: Dial 999 for an ambulance and they will guide you on the next steps. As death was unexpected the police will be called and they must report the death to the Coroner.

Once death has been verified the chosen Funeral Director will take the deceased to the hospital mortuary and await further instructions from the Coroner.

 

If death occurred at a Hospice or Nursing Home: If there is no Coroner involvement (see below) a GP or a qualified member of staff will verify death. They will then contact the nominated Funeral Director to take the deceased into their care.

The Medical Certificate of Cause of Death will be issued by the GP and the staff at the hospice/nursing home will be able to tell you when it is completed and where to collect it from, or, if it has been sent directly to the Register Office.

 

If death occurred in Hospital: If there is no Coroner involvement the Bereavement Office will be able to tell you how the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death will be issued. They will make an appointment with you, when the Certificate is ready, for you to go along and collect it, or, they will advise you that it has been sent to the Register Office.

Each hospital requires certain paperwork to be completed before the Funeral Director is permitted to bring the deceased into their care. Your Funeral Director will advise.

 

If death occurred elsewhere: If death occurred in an area away from home the local GP/hospital/Coroner will attend to the required paperwork.

The registering of the death must be carried out in the district where death occurred. Speak to your Funeral Director for advice.

If the deceased is to be returned home for the funeral to take place, your Funeral Director will organise transportation and all necessary arrangements.

If death occurred abroad your Funeral Director will advise you on what happens next.

 

Coroner Involvement: In certain circumstances the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death cannot be issued by the hospital or GP and the death must be reported to the Coroner, usually by the GP or the police.

A death will be reported to the Coroner when:-

  • The cause of death is not known.
  • The deceased was not attended by a doctor during their final illness.
  • Death was sudden and unexplained.
  • The doctor treating the deceased had not seen them in the 14 days prior to death or after death.
  • Death occurred during an operation or before the person came out of anaesthetic.
  • The death was caused by an industrial injury or disease.
  • Death was violent, unnatural or occurred under suspicious circumstances.
  • The death occurred as a result of violence, neglect, abortion or any kind of poisoning.


The Coroner may decide that death was natural and allow a doctor to issue the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death.

If not, the Coroner may decide a post-mortem examination is needed to determine the cause of death.

 

If the post-mortem examination shows that death was due to natural causes the Coroner will send the necessary paperwork directly to the Register Office.

 

If the Coroner decides to hold an inquest, the death cannot be registered until after the inquest has been completed. He/she will, however, issue you with an interim death certificate that will be accepted by most banks, building societies etc. The Coroner will also issue the Funeral Director with the necessary forms for the funeral to take place.

 

Once the Coroner has made one of the above decisions he/she will inform you and advise you of the next steps. 

When the Coroner is satisfied that no further examinations are required he/she will give permission for the Funeral Director to take the deceased into their care. 

Registering the death


The death must be registered in the district Register Office where death occured, within 5 days (unless the Coroner is involved). They use an appointment system so please arrange this by telephone. The main offices for this area are:-

  • The Register Office ​

        Llwynegrin Hall,

        Mold

        CH7 6NR

        01352 703333

        http://www.flintshire.gov.uk/en/Resident/Registration-Service/Registration-Service.aspx

 

  • Chester Register Office

        Goldsmith House,

        Goss Street,

        Chester

        CH1 2BG

        0300 123 7037

        www.cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk/residents/births,_deaths_and_marriage/contact_and_opening_hours.aspx

   

  • The Register Office

        Guildhall,

        Wrexham

        LL11 1AY

        01978 298 997

        www.wrexham.gov.uk/english/life_events/bereavement/register_office.htm

 

Who can register the death?:

  • A relative of the deceased, present at death.
  • A relative of the deceased, in attendance during the last illness.
  • A relative of the deceased residing or being in the sub-district where death occurred.
  • A person present at the death.
  • The person responsible for the funeral arrangements but not the Funeral Director.
  • The occupier of the premises where death occured.


The Registrar will require:

  • The Medical Certificate of Cause of Death (If death was reported to the Coroner this will have been sent directly to the Registrar).

Also, if available, take the following:-

  • The deceased's medical card.
  • The deceased's birth certificate.
  • The deceased's marriage or civil partnership certificate (if applicable).
  • Driving licence.
  • Passport.

The Registrar will also require the following information:-

  • The date and place of death.
  • The deceased's last address.
  • The deceased's full name and surname (and maiden name where applicable).
  • The deceased's date and place of birth (the birth certificate is helpful but not essential).
  • The deceased's occupation (or last occupation if retired).
  • The full name, date of birth and occupation of their spouse or civil partner (if applicable).
  • Whether the deceased was receiving a pension or any other benefits.

The Registrar will give you:-

  • A Certificate of Burial or Cremation (green form): this should be given to your Funeral Director as soon as possible.
  • A Certificate of Registration of Death (Form BD8): this may need to be sent to the Social Security Office if the deceased was receiving State Pension or any other benefits.
  • The Death Certificate (or death entry): this is a copy of the entry in the Death Register. You may need more than one copy for the will, insurance policies, bank, private pension schemes etc. These are available but there is a charge for each copy.

 

Registration by Declaration: If the deceased was a visitor to the area or if you, their relative, do not live locally, then you may register the death by declaration at your local Register Office. However, the paperwork will still need to be processed between your local Registrar and the Registrar where death occurred.

This will cause a delay in you receiving the certificates required to go ahead with the funeral arrangements, so this must be considered when planning a date for the funeral.

 

For any other information or advice please call us on 01244 544845 or 01244 638818.

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