In times of bereavement it can be extremely difficult to know what to do next.
If you are caring for someone who is in their last illness, it is a good idea to speak to their GP to discuss what to do when they pass away.
If Death Occurs At Home
1. Contact a funeral director.
2. Arrange to collect the doctor’s Medical Certificate of Death (usually from the surgery).
3. Take this to the Registrar’s Office, (together with the deceased’s Medical Card and Birth Certificate, if available) for the area in which the death took place. Alternatively you can register by declaration at any convenient Registrar’s Office but certificates will not be available as these will have to be posted to you a few days later.
4. The Registrar will normally issue a green coloured certificate for you to give to your funeral director who will look after necessary arrangements for the funeral. The Registrar will also issue a white notification certificate for the DSS. They will also enquire as to the number of Certified Copies you require for dealing with the deceased finances (a fee is payable for each copy).
If The Death Occurs In Hospital
1. Contact a funeral director to inform him his services are required.
2. Collect the certificate from the hospital then follow 3-4 as above.
Note For Cremation
Your funeral director will usually liaise directly with the surgery regarding the additional certification required.
There are many places where help is available and links to some of the most useful websites are listed below.
https://www.gov.uk/browse/births-deaths-marriages/death gives easy comprehensive advice
http://www.bereavementcharity.org.uk/