Funeral Guidance: What to Do Immediately After a Death

If your loved one has passed away in the hospital, a qualified Nurse or Doctor will confirm that death has occurred. Following this, your loved one will be transferred to the on-site mortuary. We can assist you in collecting your loved one from the Hospital Mortuary as soon as you have completed the necessary steps for registering a death.

It is the responsibility of the Doctor who last treated your loved one to issue a 'Medical Certificate of Cause of Death.' This certificate confirms the cause of death and is presented to the Medical Examiner. If the Medical Examiner is satisfied with the cause of death, they will approve the certificate and forward it to the local register office.

Once the Register Office has received approval from the Medical Examiner, you can proceed with registering a death. In cases where the Doctor cannot confirm a cause of death, they will refer the matter to the Coroner for further investigation, which may affect your funeral arrangements.

If your loved one has passed away at home, a qualified individual such as a Nurse, Paramedic, or Doctor will need to attend to confirm that death has occurred. Once the death has been confirmed, we can immediately attend the home address to transfer your loved one into the care of our funeral home for the necessary funeral arrangements.

It is the responsibility of the Doctor who last treated your loved one to issue a 'Medical Certificate of Cause of Death,' which confirms the cause of death. This certificate is then presented to the Medical Examiner, who will review the notes and, if satisfied with the cause of death, will approve the certificate and forward it to the local register office.

After the Register Office has received the approval from the Medical Examiner, you can proceed with registering a death. If the Doctor is unable to confirm a cause of death, they will refer the case to the Coroner for further investigation.

If your loved one has passed away in a Care or Nursing Home, a qualified professional such as a Nurse, Paramedic, or Doctor will need to attend to confirm that death has occurred. Once the death has been confirmed, we can attend to the home to convey your loved one into the care of our funeral home for the necessary funeral arrangements.

It is the responsibility of the Doctor who last treated your loved one to issue a 'Medical Certificate of Cause of Death,' which confirms the cause of death. This certificate is then presented to the Medical Examiner, who will review the notes and, if satisfied with the cause of death, will approve the certificate and forward it to the local register office.

Once the Register Office has received the approval from the Medical Examiner, you can proceed with registering a death. If the Doctor cannot confirm a cause of death, they will refer the case to the Coroner for further investigation.

If your loved one has passed away suddenly and unexpectedly, it is essential to call 999 and report to the police. The police will then arrange for a paramedic to confirm the death. Once death is confirmed, a report will be sent to the GP of the deceased. In most circumstances, the Coroner will transfer the deceased to the Coroner's Mortuary pending an investigation into the cause of death. 

If the GP can confirm a cause of death, they will issue a 'Medical Certificate of Cause of Death.' This certificate will then be presented to the Medical Examiner, who will review the notes and, if satisfied with the cause of death, approve the certificate and forward it to the local register office for registering a death. 

In situations where the GP cannot confirm a cause of death, or if the death occurred under suspicious circumstances, such as accidental or potential suicide, the Coroner will investigate further to establish the cause. This process is crucial before making any funeral arrangements.

The job of the Coroner is to investigate the circumstances surrounding a death to determine the exact cause. To achieve this, they often conduct an examination of the body and collect samples of blood and tissue to help establish the medical certificate of cause of death. Once the physical investigations are complete, the body will be released for cremation or burial.

If the Coroner does not immediately find a cause of death, they will issue an Interim Death Certificate, allowing you to proceed with funeral arrangements. Once a cause of death is identified, you will need to proceed with registering a death at the Register Office.

To register a death, you must visit the Register Office in the district where the death occurred. Most register offices operate on an appointment-only basis. You can only attend once you have the medical certificate of cause of death from the Medical Examiner or Coroner. At the Register Office, you will be issued a 'Copy of Entry to Death Register,' also known as a Death Certificate. We recommend obtaining 3-5 copies, as you may need these official copies for various funeral arrangements, such as banks and insurances. Additionally, you will receive the 'Green Form,' which is required by your Funeral Director to enable the burial or cremation to take place.

If you don't live close to the Register Office in the district where the death occurred, you can register the death at your local Register Office by declaration. In this case, you will receive the Death Certificate and Green Form by post.

When you feel ready to begin making the funeral arrangements for your loved ones, contact us anytime on 01332 683419 to arrange an appointment to visit Martin Trask & Family Funeral Directors. Alternatively, one of our team can visit you in the comfort of your own home to help you start planning, including obtaining the medical certificate of cause of death and registering a death.