What To Do When A Death Occurs

If The Death Occurs At Home 

Please telephone the deceased's doctor or an emergency doctor and, if satisfied with the cause of death, a Medical Certificate Of Cause Of Death will be issued (the doctor may leave this with you or you will have to collect this from the surgery).  

If The Death Occurs In A Nursing Home 

The staff there will contact the doctor for you, and advise what you need to do. You will be able to contact us when the doctor is satisfied with the cause of death, and they will advise when you are able to contact the Funeral Director. The nursing home may do this for you.  

If Death Occurs In A Hospital 

The nursing staff or Bereavement Officer will be in contact with you. They will arrange for a doctor to issue the Medical Certificate Of Cause Of Death. They will need to know if the funeral is a cremation or burial as this affects the paperwork required. They will require you to go into the hospital at some point to collect any belongings and to sign a release form so we can bring your loved one into our care. You can contact us at any point after death and we will liaise with the hospital.   

If Someone Dies Suddenly 

It is normal for the Coroner (England and Wales) or Procurator Fiscal (Scotland) to be involved. There are many reasons why this can happen, for example, the Coroner/Procurator Fiscal is automatically involved in most sudden or unexpected deaths, especially if the deceased has not been under a doctor's care on a regular basis. The emergency doctor or any police involved will inform the relevant Coroner's office or the Procurator Fiscal. You can contact us at any point after death and we will liaise with the relevant authority.   

When Someone Dies Away From Home Or Abroad 

Please contact us and we will be able to guide you through the process of repatriation.   

Bringing The Deceased Into Our Care 

We will ask you where you would like the deceased to rest before the funeral. This can be at our funeral home or at home if it is safe to return them. If you choose your home, we recommend that you allow us to bring the deceased into our care, to be returned home at a later time when all necessary preparations have been completed.