Passed away at Home

A medical professional must come to verify the death before you can contact a funeral director. Call your loved one’s doctor or senior nurse who will come in person to do this.

If they died at night, call NHS 111 and ask for an on-call doctor or senior nurse who can do this. You don’t have to do this right away if you would like some time with them.

The medical examiner will issue a ‘medical certificate of cause of death’, which is needed before you can register the death. They will give the certificate directly to the registrars and let you know once they have sent it.

You will then have five days to register the death.

Unexpected Passing

If someone dies unexpectedly you must call emergency services on 999. They will contact the coroner to investigate the cause of death.

The coroner will arrange for a local funeral director to collect the person who has died to take them to the hospital mortuary. You don’t need to use this funeral director, even if the person has been taken to their funeral home after the investigation is finished.

The coroner will issue a medical certificate of cause of death when they have completed their investigation, but you can still start arranging the funeral in the meantime. Sometimes, an ‘interim’ certificate is issued while further investigations are taking place.

Passed away in Hospital

The medical examiner will issue a ‘medical certificate of cause of death’, which is needed before you can register the death. They will give the certificate directly to the registrars and let you know once they have sent it.

You will then have five days to register the death.

Your chosen funeral director will arrange with the hospital to bring the person who has died into their care. You do not need to be there on that day.

The hospital may need to conduct a post-mortem examination to ascertain the cause of death. If they’re unable to find out the cause, the doctor will contact the coroner, who will investigate further.

Death in a Care Home or Hospice

Staff at the care home or hospice will contact a medical professional to go in person to verify the death of your loved one. Once this has happened you can arrange for a funeral director to bring them into their care.

The medical examiner will issue a ‘medical certificate of cause of death’, which is needed before you can register the death. They will give the certificate directly to the registrars and let you know once they have sent it.

If the Death Was Unexpected at a Care Home or Hospice

If someone dies unexpectedly at a care home or hospice the emergency services must be involved. They will contact the coroner to investigate the cause of death.

Registering the Death

Once you have registered the death the registrar will issue you with a Death Certificate accompanied by a Certificate for Burial or Cremation, which is often known as the green certificate or form.

Please note that upon registration of the death there will be a government fee of £12.50 for documentation provided to you.

What We Need From You

We do not need a copy of the Death Certificate unless there is a pre-paid funeral plan or insurance policy in place. However we always need the green certificate, as this is a required document to allow us to bring your loved one into our care and also gives permission for the burial or cremation to legally take place.

We’re Here to Help

We treat all families as if they were our own and we never want families to face distress and grief alone. We will be with you every step of the way personally, not only as your local undertaker but as a family friend.

Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you need support or have any questions during this difficult time. We’re here to guide you through every step of the process with care and understanding.