When Death Occurs
On this page you will find help concerning what to do when death occurs.
If a death occurs at home, first contact your family doctor or out of hours GP, who will attend and verify death. If a death occurs in a nursing or care home, the staff will attend to the above on your behalf.
Once the doctor has certified death, the Funeral Director can then be called.
- A Medical Certificate which shows the cause of death will be issued by the deceased’s GP and an appointment may need to be made at the surgery to collect this.
- If death occurs in hospital, the doctor attending to the deceased will issue the Medical Certificate which shows the cause of death. This is usually collected from the Bereavement Office at the hospital.
- Sudden or unexpected deaths will be reported to the Coroner and any certificates may be issued by the Coroner.
- Contact can be made with the Funeral Director for further advice.
All deaths must be registered and most Register Offices work by an appointment system.
Who Can Register A Death?
- Close relative of the deceased.
- A relative in attendance during their last illness.
- A relative living in the district where the death occurred.
- A person present at the time of death.
- Medical Certificate for the cause of death.
- Medical card if available.
- Birth certificate and information regarding date of birth.
- Marriage Certificate if the deceased is a married lady.
Information
- Date and place of death.
- Full name of the deceased.
- Date and place of birth.
- Occupation and home address.
- If married, full name and occupation of the surviving spouse.
The Registrar will issue a green certificate for burial or cremation, which needs to be passed on to the Funeral Director.
In cases where the Coroner has been involved, any documents for the Funeral Director will be collected from the Coroner on your behalf.
Certified copies of the entry in the Death Register (Death Certificate) may be purchased from the registrar for bank and insurance purposes etc.
Family Funeral Directors You Can Trust
