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When death occurs
What to do when your loved one passes away expectedly at home:
If your loved one passes away expectedly at home, the first thing to do is contact their doctor. The doctor will need to attend to verify the death. This should be done before contacting your chosen funeral director.
The doctor who has visited your loved one will then complete the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death. This may be completed when the doctor visits your home; however it is usual for the doctor to complete this at the surgery where they will send this direct to the registrar.
You will need to contact the Registry Office to book an appointment with the registrar in the sub-district of which the death occurred. There is a legal requirement to do this within five days.
This is where you will obtain your official death certificates and your ‘Green Certificate’. The Green Certificate will be sent to your chosen funeral director.
What to do when your loved one passes away in hospital:
If your loved one has passed away expectedly in hospital, you will need to firstly make contact with your chosen funeral directors and inform them of the death.
We as funeral directors are not permitted to bringing your loved one into our care until we have the ‘Green Certificate’. To obtain the Green Certificate you need to collect the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death from the hospital at which the death occurred. You will then need to book an appointment with the registrar in the sub-district of which the death occurred. The death can sometimes be registered at the Hospital the same time you collect the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death. This is where you will then be given your official death certificates and your ‘Green Certificate’.
If your loved ones wishes were to be cremated then your funeral director will have to order the necessary Cremation forms. These normally take a few days to be completed. Once these have been completed then your funeral director can book an appointment to bring your loved one straight into their care.
What to do when your loved one passes away in a Nursing Home/Hospice, Residential Home or Care Home:
If your loved one has passed away expectedly in a Nursing Home or Hospice then the nursing staff will ask you to choose a funeral director. If we are your chosen funeral director then the staff there will call us to inform us of your loved ones passing. We will then bring your loved one into our care. If you are not still with your loved one when we get there then a call will be made to the next of kin to inform you of the next steps and to say that your loved one is safe and in our chapel of rest.
You will then need to collect the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death from the GP who was caring for your loved one. Once you have the certificate then an appointment needs to be made with the registrar in the sub-district of which the death occurred. You will then be given your official death certificates and the ‘Green Certificate’. This certificate needs to be given to your funeral director as soon as possible. You can then contact us to book an appointment to start the necessary funeral arrangements.
What to do when your loved one passes away unexpectedly:
If your loved one passes away unexpectedly then the process of what to do next is slightly different. The death will be referred to the HM Coroner who will have full control over paperwork and the release of your loved one into our care. Your loved one will remain at the local hospital where a post mortem may be necessary. If a post mortem is required then this will have to happen before we can bring your loved one into our care. The coroner will be in contact with you to inform you on what is to happen next. In this case there will NOT be a Medical Certificate of Cause of Death certificate issued.
GriefChat:
Most people expect to be very upset or distressed when someone close to them has died. What takes many people by surprise is how strong the emotions can be, how they can change very quickly, and how long they last. People around you may seem to think you should be ‘back to normal’ after a few weeks or months. You might appear to be your usual self to other people, but you know that on the inside, you’re not even sure what normal is anymore.
Everyone grieves in a way that is unique to them and their relationship with the person who has died. Well-intentioned people may say to you, ‘Time is a great healer.’ Sometimes, however, it can seem that life is more difficult as the weeks and months go by.
We know that no-one can understand exactly what your loss feels like to you. But we do understand that it’s sometimes easier to talk to someone outside of your friends and family about grief and the impact of bereavement of your life and this is why we offer the GriefChat service.
GriefChat was created by bereavement experts and by clicking on the GriefChat box below, you can chat directly to a specially trained bereavement counsellor. GriefChat counsellors are experienced in supporting bereaved people and will listen to your story, explore how your grief is affecting you and help you to find any additional support you might need. GriefChat is a completely free service and is available Monday-Friday,9am-9pm(except Bank Holidays).
GriefChat provides emotional support for bereaved people, access to trained bereavement counsellors and referral into other specialist bereavement services.
