When there’s a death in the family, trying to make arrangements can be very challenging. HC Townsend aim to help you through this difficult time, to answer any questions you may have and to deal with all the necessary arrangements to put your loved ones to rest. We proved help and assistance covering alternative scenarios, should the unexpected happen.
What to do when someone dies
The first steps to be taken when a death occurs
In hospital
If the death occurs in hospital, and you are not present, the hospital staff will contact the person named as next of kin. A doctor who has looked after your loved one in their last illness will issue a Medical Cause of Death Certificate. (MCCD) This will be emailed to the Medical Examiner along with your loved one’s Medical notes.
The Medical Examiner will review all the information and will contact the next of kin to alleviate any questions or concerns (this will take a couple of days), then the Medical Examiner will email the MCCD to the Register Office and inform you to make an appointment to register the death. You should register the death within 5 days. When you register the death you are given a green form, we need this green form for the burial or cremation to take place. You can then book a date for the funeral.
Please note that hospital bereavement offices are usually only open during normal working weekdays.
At home or in a nursing home
If the death was expected, contact the GP surgery or District Nurses who attended the deceased during their final illness. If the death occurred at a Nursing Home the staff will contact the GP or a senior nurse will verify the death.
A GP at the surgery will produce a Medical Cause of Death Certificate (MCCD) and this will be emailed to the Medical Examiner, the process will continue as above
Sudden death
If death is sudden or unexpected, you should contact the following people:
- Ambulance or paramedic
- GP surgery (if known)
- the deceased’s nearest relative
If there is any reason to suspect that the death was not due to natural causes, do not touch or remove anything in the room. The ambulance or paramedic will contact the police, they may or may not attend. The death may be referred to the coroner. The relatives of the deceased will be contacted to discuss any plan of action.
The Coroner is involved
In any of the following circumstances the doctor may report the death to the coroner:
- an accident or injury
- an industrial disease
- during a surgical operation
- before recovering from an anaesthetic
- if the cause of death is unknown
- the death was sudden and unexplained.
If the person who has died has not been seen or treated by a doctor within the last 28 days or has been admitted into hospital less than 24 hours before they died the death must be reported to the coroner.
