What to do Following a Death

When a death occurs at home it is necessary to first contact the Doctor of the deceased who will issue the Medical Certificate of the Cause of Death, and confirm they are satisfied with the cause of death. If the Doctor of the deceased is unavailable or the person passes away out of normal surgery hours, then you should contact the on-call Doctor who will attend to verify the death. Sometimes the Doctor may require you to collect the medical certificate from the Doctor’s survey when it is ready.

When a death occurs in a hospital, the administrative staff will advise you when the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death is ready to be collected. If the person passes away in a nursing home or a hospice, the staff at the home will contact the on-call Doctor to certify the death on your behalf.

Once you have obtained the medical certificate, you should contact us so we can arrange to bring back the deceased into our care.

When a death is unexpected or the cause of death is uncertain, the attending Doctor must contact the local coroner office so they can investigate the cause of death further. The coroner will arrange for the deceased to be taken to a local hospital, where an examination may take place to determine the exact cause of death.

The funeral may be delayed until the corner finishes their investigations. They will liaise with the next of kin to advised of the necessary procedures.

If you require any further information, please contact one of our members of staff.