If Death Occurs At Home
1. Telephone the doctor who will visit to confirm that death has taken place.
2. Contact a funeral director.
3. Arrange to collect the doctor's Medical Certificate of Death (usually from the surgery).
4. Take this to the Registrars Office, (together with the deceased's Medical Card and Birth Certificate, if available) for the area in which the death took place. Alternatively you can register by declaration at any convenient Registrars Office but certificates will not be available as these will have to be posted to you a few days later.
5. The Registrar will normally issue a Green coloured certificate for you to give to your funeral director who will look after necessary arrangements for the funeral. The Registrar will also issue a white notification certificate for the DSS. They will also enquire as to the number of Certified Copies you require for dealing with the deceased finances (a fee is payable for each copy).
If The Death Occurs In Hospital
1. Contact a funeral director to inform him his services are required.
2. Collect the certificate from the hospital then follow 4 - 5 as above
Note For Cremation
Your funeral director will usually liaise directly with the surgery regarding the additional certification required.
Cruse Bereavement Care
Cruse is a national charity that provides advice, information and support to anyone who has been bereaved (children, young people and adults), whenever or however the death has occurred. The service is provided by trained, experienced volunteers, and is confidential and free.
Cruse provides face-to-face, telephone, email and website support both post- and pre-bereavement. They have a national helpline, and local services throughout England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
For help and support:
Children and young people can:
- telephone the young persons freephone helpline on 0808 808 1677
- visit RD4U website - designed for younger people - at www.RD4U.org.uk
- email RD4U at info@RD4U.org.uk
Some self-help leaflets are available in the Practice reception waiting area, and Dawn Tucker our Carers Champion has mor detailed support leaflets available for our patients also.