USEFUL INFORMATION

If the death was expected, contact the doctor who attended the deceased during their illness. If the doctor certifies the cause of death you will be given a Medical Certificate which you take with you when you register the death with a Registrar. You can contact us at any time for advice.

The hospital will take care of immediate requirements and will advise whether a doctor will issue the medical certificate. If a doctor who has treated the deceased is unable to issue a Medical Certificate, the death will be reported to Coroner. The hospital’s bereavement office will provide you with all the updates that your require and are usually only contactable during normal working weekdays.

If death is sudden or unexpected, you should contact; the person’s GP doctor and/or the police. It is possible that the death may be referred to the coroner.

If the person who has passed away has not been seen or treated by a doctor within the last 14 days or has been admitted into hospital less than 24 hours before they died, the death will be reported to the coroner.

A death will also be reported to the coroner if the person has or is suspected to have suffered from an industrial disease, if they passed away during surgery (or before recovering from anaesthetic), and if the cause of death is unknown, sudden or unexplained.

A death must be registered in the district where it occurred (though this can be done via an out of area Registry office).

Registering a death is by appointment only and you must provide the following information:

– Personal information about the deceased including their full name address, date of birth, the location and date/time of death, and their occupation.

– If the deceased is a married woman, her maiden name is also required as well as her husband’s full name and occupation.

– The ‘certificate of cause of death’ (the Death certificate- given to you by the certifying Doctor).

If the coroner is involved, the issuance of a death certificate may be delayed and will not be issued until the coroner has carried out the examination or inquest.

Only the following people can register a death; a relative of the deceased, a person present at the death, a person who lives in the house where the person died, or any person arranging the funeral, other than the Funeral Director.

The registrar will issue two certificates. One, a white certificate to be filled out and given to the social security office in the area the person has died., and the second is green and should be given to the Funeral Director at the earliest convenience.