WHEN SOMEONE DIES

FIRST STEP

After a person has passed away, their next of kin will be contacted by the ME (Medical Examiner) to ascertain that you are happy with the care that your loved one received. Following this, they will contact the Registry Office in the region where the death occurred, and the Registrar will contact you to arrange an appointment for you to attend the Registry Office to register the death. You will be required to answer the following questions about the deceased: their full name, marital status, date of birth, place of birth, occupation, maiden name (if female and married), spouse’s name, spouse’s date of birth, spouse’s occupation and any other name the deceased may have been known as. While there are certain arrangements that can’t be made until the death has been registered, you are welcome to contact us for help and guidance at any point from the point of passing.

NEXT STEPS

DEATH AT HOME

If someone dies at home, you should call their Doctor, who will attend and certify the death. The Doctor will inform the ME (Medical Examiner) who will contact you to ascertain that you are happy with the care that your loved one received. Following this, they will contact the Registry Office in the region where the death occurred, and the Registrar will contact you to arrange an appointment for you to attend the Registry Office to register the death. You should contact us once the Doctor has attended. Should you wish to keep the deceased at home for a short while, we can assist you with these arrangements.

DEATH IN PROFESSIONAL CARE

At a hospital

Following a death in hospital, the Hospital Bereavement or Family Liaison Officer will offer you support and practical advice on what to do next. Many hospitals offer a Bereavement Brochure which often has invaluable information. The hospital will inform the ME (Medical Examiner) who will contact you to ascertain that you are happy with the care that your loved one received. Following this, they will contact the Registry Office in the region where the death occurred, and the Registrar will contact you to arrange an appointment for you to attend the Registry Office to register the death. You can contact us anytime after the death has occurred for help and guidance, but we will only be able to remove the deceased into our care once the death has been registered.

At a Nursing Home

Following a death at a Nursing Home, you will be asked to nominate a Funeral Director. The Nursing Home will contact us and once the death has been verified by a Doctor, we are able to remove the deceased into our care. The ME (Medical Examiner) will contact you to ascertain that you are happy with the care that your loved one received. Following this, they will contact the Registry Office in the region where the death occurred, and the Registrar will contact you to arrange an appointment for you to attend the Registry Office to register the death. You can contact us anytime after the death has occurred for help and guidance.

SUDDEN OR UNEXPECTED DEATH

This is when the case is referred to the Coroner. When someone dies suddenly or the doctor is unsure of the cause of death, or someone dies as a result of an accident, the Coroner’s Office is notified. You may still ring us regarding arrangements but we must liaise with the Coroner before arranging and confirming the Funeral Date. The Coroner’s Office involved will depend on where the person passed away. The Coroner will advise you when to register the death.

WHEN A BABY OR CHILD DIES

When a baby dies before gestation, some parents are unable to attend the funeral, we assure you the funeral is carried out with dignity and respect. Quite often it is the local Hospital Trust that arranges the funeral. We offer religious and non-religious burials or cremation of infants and children. If a child of under 18 years of age dies, we waive our professional fees for the funeral, you will only be asked to pay for third party costs i.e. coffin, clergy etc.

IF SOMEONE DIES ABROAD

We, as your Funeral Director will liaise with the overseas Funeral Director or British Consulate or Embassy to arrange the necessary documentation to enable us to repatriate the deceased to our premises. You are responsible for the travel costs and overseas Funeral Director costs. We also repatriate overseas from the United Kingdom, please contact us for estimated costs involved.