Guidance on what to do when death occurs
What to do next
At this difficult time there is much to do and many decisions that have to be made. It can all seem quite overwhelming but we are here to help, support and advise you 24 hours a day.
See below for a simple guide on what to do next:-
If death occurred at home and is expected: Contact the deceased's GP's surgery and a GP will come and verify death. A community nurse may also be able to verify death. You may then contact your chosen Funeral Director for them to take the deceased into their care.
If there is no Coroner involvement (see below) the GP will issue a Medical Certificate of Cause of Death (MCCD), which will be sent to the medical examiner. Once the GP and the medical examiner have completed their declarations of certification and scrutiny, and the cause of death is confirmed, the MCCD will be sent to the registrar by the medical examiner. The representative of the deceased will be notified at the same time and can then contact the registrar to arrange the registration of the death.
If death occurred at home and is unexpected: Dial 999 for an ambulance and they will guide you on the next steps. As death was unexpected the police will be called and they must report the death to the Coroner.
Once death has been verified the chosen Funeral Director will take the deceased to the hospital mortuary and await further instructions from the Coroner.
If death occurred at a Hospice or Nursing Home: If there is no Coroner involvement (see below) a GP or a qualified member of staff will verify death. They will then contact the nominated Funeral Director to take the deceased into their care.
The Medical Certificate of Cause of Death (MCCD) will be issued by the GP which will be sent to the medical examiner. Once the GP and the medical examiner have completed their declarations of certification and scrutiny, and the cause of death is confirmed, the MCCD will be sent to the registrar by the medical examiner. The representative of the deceased will be notified at the same time and can then contact the registrar to arrange the registration of the death.
If death occurred in Hospital: If there is no Coroner involvement the Bereavement Office will explain that the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death (MCCD) will be issued by the GP and then sent to the medical examiner. Once the GP and the medical examiner have completed their declarations of certification and scrutiny, and the cause of death is confirmed, the MCCD will be sent to the registrar by the medical examiner. The representative of the deceased will be notified at the same time and can then contact the registrar to arrange the registration of the death.
Each hospital requires certain paperwork to be completed before the Funeral Director is permitted to bring the deceased into their care. Your Funeral Director will advise.
If death occurred elsewhere: If death occurred in an area away from home the local GP/hospital/Coroner will attend to the required paperwork.
The registering of the death must be carried out in the district where death occurred. Speak to your Funeral Director for advice.
If the deceased is to be returned home for the funeral to take place, your Funeral Director will organise transportation and all necessary arrangements.
If death occurred abroad your Funeral Director will advise you on what happens next.
Coroner Involvement: In certain circumstances the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death cannot be issued by the hospital or GP and the death must be reported to the Coroner, usually by the GP or the police.
A death will be reported to the Coroner when:-
The Coroner may decide that death was natural and allow a doctor to issue the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death.
If not, the Coroner may decide a post-mortem examination is needed to determine the cause of death.
If the post-mortem examination shows that death was due to natural causes the Coroner will send the necessary paperwork directly to the Register Office.
If the Coroner decides to hold an inquest, the death cannot be registered until after the inquest has been completed. He/she will, however, issue you with an interim death certificate that will be accepted by most banks, building societies etc. The Coroner will also issue the Funeral Director with the necessary forms for the funeral to take place.
Once the Coroner has made one of the above decisions he/she will inform you and advise you of the next steps.
When the Coroner is satisfied that no further examinations are required he/she will give permission for the Funeral Director to take the deceased into their care.
Registering the death
The death must be registered in the district Register Office where death occured, within 5 days (unless the Coroner is involved). They use an appointment system so please arrange this by telephone. The main offices for this area are:-
Llwynegrin Hall,
Mold
CH7 6NR
01352 703333
http://www.flintshire.gov.uk/en/Resident/Registration-Service/Registration-Service.aspx
Goldsmith House,
Goss Street,
Chester
CH1 2BG
0300 123 7037
Guildhall,
Wrexham
LL11 1AY
01978 298 997
www.wrexham.gov.uk/english/life_events/bereavement/register_office.htm
Who can register the death?:
The Registrar will require:
Also, if available, take the following:-
The Registrar will also require the following information:-
The Registrar will give you:-
Registration by Declaration: If the deceased was a visitor to the area or if you, their relative, do not live locally, then you may register the death by declaration at your local Register Office. However, the paperwork will still need to be processed between your local Registrar and the Registrar where death occurred.
This will cause a delay in you receiving the certificates required to go ahead with the funeral arrangements, so this must be considered when planning a date for the funeral.
For any other information or advice please call us on 01244 544845 or 01244 638818.