What to do when someone dies

Death At Home

Call the Doctor (GP) of deceased, who will issue a Medical Certificate for the cause of death. If this a Locum or other Medical Practitioner who attends they will issue a Statement of Death.
Please contact us on 0208 952 5252 so that we can bring the deceased into our care once the doctor has attended. If you would like the deceased to remain at home for a little while please advise us as soon as possible, and we will give you guidance on this.

Register the death within 5 days, but you may contact us or come to see us beforehand if you would like to discuss the funeral arrangements. Registration is usually at the Registry Office closest to the place of death. The registration should be done by a relative or the executor of the will. Please be aware that many Registry Offices require you to make an appointment.

Once you have registered the death, we can handle all the arrangements for you or help guide and advise you. You can also follow the Government's step by step guide of what to after someone dies.

The Hospital bereavement or family liaison officers will offer you emotional support and practical advice about what to do next. They will provide you with:

The Medical Certificate for the cause of death.

Contact details for the nearest Registry Office, so that you can register the death. If the death is sudden or unexpected it may be referred to a coroner. Find out more about this here.

You should:

Contact us so we can liaise with the hospital or care home to make the necessary arrangements for you.

Register the death within 5 days, but you may contact us or come to see us beforehand if you would like to discuss the funeral arrangements. Registration is usually at the Registry Office closest to the place of death. The registration should be done by a relative or the executor of the will. Please be aware that many Registry Offices require you to make an appointment.

Provide us with a Certificate for Burial or Cremation (Green Certificate) supplied by the Registry Office to enable us to take the deceased into our care.

Registration

Once a medical certificate of death has been completed, you should register the person's death, usually at the Registry Office closest to the place of death. The registration should be done by a relative or the executor of the will. Please be aware that many Registry Offices require you to make an appointment.

Sudden or unexpected death

When someone has died unexpectedly or the doctor is not certain of the cause of death, the case will often be referred to the Coroner's Office.

Dying abroad - Repatriation to and from the UK

As your UK funeral director, we will work with you, the oversees funeral director and British Consulate or Embassy to receive the deceased to the UK.

When someone dies at home you should

If the death is sudden or unexpected it may be referred to a coroner.

It’s a good idea to contact your funeral director at an early stage. A provisional date can be booked for the funeral, we will also help with some arrangements and we will liaise with the Coroner’s Office for you.

If you would like support with a sudden bereavement there is help available.
Which Coroner’s Office is involved will depend on where the death occurred.