What to do when a death occurs
- At a Private Residence
When a death occurs at a private residence and it is an expected death the first practical step is for the deceased’s doctor to be contacted to confirm and certify the death. When the doctor is satisfied as to the cause of death they will issue you with a “Medical Certificate of Death”. This would either be given to you at home or you would need to collect it from the doctor’s surgery. The “Medical Certificate of Death” is a very important document which you will need to be able to register the death with the local registrar.
Note: In the event that the death is sudden or unexpected then the police may need to attend to co-ordinate the removal of the body to the public mortuary on behalf of the HM Coroner. The need for a Coroner to be involved can be due to many reasons such as an accident, a trauma or simply that the deceased had not been seen by their doctor for a period of time. The HM Coroner has a duty to establish cause of death if the doctor is unable to certify a definite cause.
If the coroner feels further examinations are required, you would be informed by the coroner’s officer. They would also keep you informed of any progress with the cause of death. In due course notification issued by the coroner would be sent to the registrar. This enables the death to be registered in the normal way.
When you have registered the death with the Registrar they will provide you with a Death Certificate and the “Green Form”. Once you have those forms you can make an appointment with your chosen funeral director to make the funeral service arrangements. If the deceased is to be cremated then the funeral director will arrange for the associated cremation forms to be completed. These forms are not required for burial. Please note a funeral director is unable to proceed with family viewings or arrangements until you have the above legal documentation.
At H.J Newman we pride ourselves on helping you through every step of the process, which is why a Newman family member is always available during office hours and in addition we provide an out of hours 24 hour/365 a day service for collection of your loved one. Call us now on 01753 524286
Whether you would like to use our funeral services or simple need some help, we are more than happy to offer sound advice and information on what to do following the death of a loved one.
- In a Residential Care Home
When a death occurs in a residential care home, nursing home or hospice, the nursing team will arrange for the doctor to certify the death and issue the “Medical Certificate of Death”. This Medical Certificate will need to be collected from the home to enable the death to be registered with the registrar.
At this point the nursing team may contact a funeral director on your behalf to collect your loved one. You have the right to request a specific funeral director or subsequently have your loved one recovered to a funeral director of your choice. If you have any questions regarding arrangements, we are happy to provide independent and free advice during this difficult time.
Remember the “Medical Certificate of Death” is a very important document and you will need to collect this from the Care Home as you will require this certificate to register the death with the local registrar. When you have registered the death with the Registrar they will provide you with a Death Certificate and the “Green Form”. Once you have those forms you can make an appointment with your chosen funeral director. If the deceased is to be cremated then the funeral director will arrange for the cremation forms to be completed. These forms are not required for burial.
Please note a funeral director is unable to proceed with family viewings or arrangements until you have the above legal documentation.
At H.J Newman we pride ourselves on helping you through every step of the process, which is why a Newman family member is always available during office hours and in addition we provide an out of hours 24 hour/365 a day service for collection of your loved one. Call us now on 01753 524286
Whether you would like to use our funeral services or simple need some help, we are more than happy to offer sound advice and information on what to do following the death of a loved one.
- In a hospital
When a death occurs in a hospital, medical staff arrange for the death to be certified by a doctor. This doctor will issue what is known as a “Medical Certificate of Death” when they are satisfied of the cause of death.
At this point the hospital will ask you if you have a preferred funeral director in mind to collect the deceased. You will then need to contact that funeral director yourself who will then make the arrangements with the hospital mortuary to collected your loved one. If you have any questions regarding arrangements, we are happy to provide independent and free advice during this difficult time.
Remember the “Medical Certificate of Death” is a very important document and you will need to collect this from the hospital as you will require this certificate to register the death with the local registrar. When you have registered the death with the Registrar they will provide you with a Death Certificate and the “Green Form”. Once you have those forms you can make an appointment with your chosen funeral director. If the deceased is to be cremated then the funeral director will arrange for the cremation forms to be completed. These forms are not required for burial.
Please note a funeral director is unable to proceed with family viewings or arrangements until you have the above legal documentation.
At H.J Newman we pride ourselves on helping you through every step of the process, which is why a Newman family member is always available during office hours and in addition we provide an out of hours 24 hour/365 a day service for collection of your loved one. Call us now on 01753 524286
Whether you would like to use our funeral services or simple need some help, we are more than happy to offer sound advice and information on what to do following the death of a loved one.
- An accident or incident
When an unexpected death occurs then the police will need to attend to co-ordinate the removal of the body to the public mortuary on behalf of the HM Coroner. The need for a Coroner to be involved can be due to many reasons, such as an accident, a trauma or simply that the deceased had not been seen by their doctor for a period of time. The HM Coroner has a duty to establish cause of death if the doctor is unable to certify a definite cause.
If the coroner feels further examinations are required, you would be informed by the coroner’s officer. They would also keep you informed of any progress with the cause of death. In due course notification issued by the coroner would be sent to the Registrar. This enables the death to be registered with the Registrar in the normal way and for you to receive the required documentation to proceed with funeral arrangements.
When you have registered the death with the Registrar they will provide you with a Death Certificate and the “Green Form”. Once you have those forms you can make an appointment with your chosen funeral director to make the funeral service arrangements. If the deceased is to be cremated then the funeral director will arrange for the associated cremation forms to be completed. These forms are not required for burial. Please note a funeral director is unable to proceed with family viewings or arrangements until you have the above legal documentation.
At H.J Newman we pride ourselves on helping you through every step of the process, which is why a Newman family member is always available during office hours and in addition we provide an out of hours 24 hour/365 a day service for collection of your loved one. Call us now on 01753 524286
Whether you would like to use our funeral services or simple need some help, we are more than happy to offer sound advice and information on what to do following the death of a loved one.
- Occurs Overseas
When death occurs overseas it can be a very stressful experience. Whether you are abroad with your loved one when a death occurs or if you are at home whilst they were abroad, the first step is to contact the nearest British embassy, High Commission or consulate. They’ll be able to give you specific advice on what to do in the country of death. If you’re on a package holiday you should tell your package organiser’s representative in the resort as soon as you can.
Register the Death: You must register the death in the country where your loved one died. The British Consul can help you do this.
Please note: If the death was sudden, unexpected, violent or unnatural then when your loved one is repatriated to the United Kingdom the HM Coroner will usually hold an inquest. If the coroner feels further examinations are required, you would be informed by the coroner’s officer. They would also keep you informed of any progress with the cause of death. In due course notification issued by the coroner would be sent to the Registrar. This enables the death to be registered with the Registrar in the normal way and for you to receive the required documentation to proceed with funeral arrangements.
Organising Repatriation of the body to the UK: You need to contact your funeral director of choice to confirm if they are able to help organise this on your behalf. Not all funeral directors offer this service.
Registering the Death in the UK: Once the body is home, take the death certificate to your local Registrar. As the death has already been registered abroad, the registrar will give you a ‘certificate of no liability to register’. You will need to provide this to your chosen funeral director.
For full details of our repatriation service please feel free to contact us directly. We pride ourselves on helping you through every step of the process, which is why a Newman family member is always available during office hours and in addition we provide an out of hours 24 hour/365 a day service for collection of your loved one. Call us now on 01753 524286
Cemeteries:
- Slough – 01753 523 127
- Easthampstead Park – 01344 420 314
- Parkside – 01753 523 744
- Oakley Green – 01628 796 482
- Braywick – 01628 796 482
- Spittal – 01628 796 482
Hospital Patient Affairs
- Wexham – 01753 633 562
- Royal Berks – 0118 322 7059
- Hillingdon – 01895 279 354
Crematoriums
- Slough – 01753 523 127
- Easthampstead Park – 01344 420 314
- Breakspear – 01895 556 560
- Chilterns – 01494 724 263
Registrars
- Slough – 01753 787 600
- Windsor – 01628 796 422
- High Wycombe – 01494 475 200
- Maidenhead – 01628 796 422
- Ascot – 01628 796 422