Funeral in Print

Literature for Funeral Services

Who to Contact

When a loved one dies at home;

When someone dies at home, the Doctor should be called, it does not have to be your loved ones own Doctor, a Doctor on call will come to you.

The Doctor will come to the house to confirm the death and will issue the Cause of Death Certificate. If the Doctor does not issue the Cause of Death Certificate the death will be referred to the Coroner. (see below)

Once the Doctor confirms that he or she will issue the Cause of Death Certificate it is then appropriate to contact the funeral director.

The funeral director will need to know;

Your name, address, telephone number and your relationship to the deceased.
The name of the deceased and the address where the death has occurred.
The name of the Doctor and whether he/she will issue the Cause of Death Certificate.
Whether you prefer the deceased to stay at home or be transferred to our premises.
Whether you have decided on a Burial or Cremation.
If the deceased had a pre-paid funeral plan.

(Co-operative Funeral Directors)

The funeral director will then arrange a time of which is decided by you, to take your loved one into their care.

If a loved one dies in hospital;

When someone dies in a hospital or nursing home, a Doctor will confirm the death. The Sister or Staff Nurse in charge will advise you when and where to collect the Cause of Death Certificate.

If your loved one is to be cremated it is helpful to let the Nursing staff know so the doctor can prepare appropriate papers.

Most Hospitals have a mortuary and your loved one will be taken there to be cared for while the necessary paperwork is arranged. If the death occurs in a Nursing Home, the funeral director you choose will take your loved one into their care. Let the Nursing Home know the funeral director of your choice.

The coroner

Any sudden or unexplained deaths are investigated by a coroner. A death referred to a Coroner is not necessarily cause for alarm. There are many simple reasons why a death may need to be reported. The enquiry may not necessarily delay the funeral and so it is important that you go ahead and contact your chosen funeral director. They will be able to advise and guide you through the process.

Family and friends

Carrying out those official tasks are difficult but those you contact will know exactly what to do and will help you with anything you are not sure about. The most important thing is that you contact the doctor and the funeral director.

At this point it is completely up to you when and how you contact relatives and friends. Clearly it is a difficult task for you to tell everyone yourself but people are often very good at telling others for you if it helps.

It is important to let as many people know as you can before the funeral to give everyone a chance to say there goodbyes but it is impossible to reach everyone - using local media ie the local paper to let people know when the funeral is can be a real help and often word of mouth is a strong and reliable.

Registering the death and other paperwork;

Unfortunately there are other very important tasks that need to be carried out when a loved one dies. Please see below for useful websites that offer up to date clear information on registering a death, applying for probate etc.

http://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/deaths/

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Governmentcitizensandrights/Death/WhatToDoAfterADeath/DG_10029642

http://www.hmcourts-service.gov.uk/infoabout/civil/probate/index.htm

http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/cto/pa1.htm

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