When Someone Dies
Help & Support
What to Do When Someone Dies
Below is some helpful information regarding the death of a loved one and a guide as to the next steps.
MCCD = Medical Certificate of the Cause of Death
ME = Medical Examiner GP = General Practitioner (family doctor)
This information can also be found in the SAIF guide ‘5 Things To Do Before You Die’ on the button below and also includes a section ‘Funeral Wishes’ which helps to ask some of the same questions when making funeral arrangements.
What do I do now?
What happens next will depend on the circumstances of the death. The death will need to be certified, whether by your own GP, or someone who is qualified to do so, like a Doctor in the Hospital, or a certified Nurse in a Care Home or Hospice.
A new ruling from 9 September 2024 means that all expected deaths must firstly be reported to the Medical Examiner who will decide whether the MCCD can be issued by the GP/Doctor or if the death needs to be referred to the Coroner.
In most cases of expected deaths (old age or long/terminal illness), the MCCD is sent electronically by the surgery or hospital directly to the registrar notifying the registrar of the death. The surgery or hospital will notify you once they have done this so that you can then make an appointment with the registrar using their online booking system.
In cases where the Medical Examiner is not satisfied as to the circumstances of the death then the ME will refer the case to the Coroner. Please see section ‘When Death Is Referred to The Coroner’.
When it is an unexpected death (a sudden death; the person was otherwise fit and healthy or an accident has occurred), and the emergency services are involved, then the Coroner will be immediately informed and will take the person into their care. The Coroner will determine the necessary course of action and a Post Mortem investigation may be required. Please see section ‘When Death Is Referred to The Coroner’.
When The Death Occurs At Home
You will need to inform the GP as soon as possible that the death has occurred. If the death has occurred out of hours some GP Surgeries will ask you to call 111. The GP, whether your own GP or a locum doctor, will verify the death. Once the death has been verified and everyone has said their goodbye, you can then contact the Funeral Director who will bring your loved one into their care. The GP will report the death to the Medical Examiner as soon as they are able, and the ME will decide if the GP/Doctor can issue the MCCD or if the matter needs to be referred to the Coroner. If the GP/Doctor is authorised to issue the MCCD they will email this to the registrar and notify you once they have done so, in order that you can then book an appointment with the registrar to formally register the death which must be done within 5 days of the MCCD having been issued.
When The Death Occurs In A Hospice Or Nursing/Care Home
The death will need to be certified by a GP, or a qualified member of staff of the hospice or nursing/care home. The nursing/care home or hospice staff will then care for your loved one until they are conveyed to our funeral home in a dignified and caring manner once you have said your goodbye. The GP surgery or hospice will report the death to the Medical Examiner who will decide if the GP or Hospice can issue the MCCD, or if the matter needs to be referred to the Coroner. If issued by the GP or Hospice they will notify you when they have sent the MCCD to the registrar so that you can then book an appointment with the registrar to formally register the death which must be done within 5 days of the MCCD having been issued.
When The Death Occurs In Hospital
You will need to notify the hospital who your preferred Funeral Director is. The Bereavement Services department at the hospital will assist you in obtaining the MCCD via the hospital doctor. They will first report the death to the ME who will decide if the doctor can issue the MCCD or if the death has to be referred to the Coroner. In most cases the ME will decide that the doctor can issue the MCCD and in such cases the Bereavement team will send the MCCD electronically directly to the registrar. They will inform you once this is done, enabling you to then contact the registrar to make an appointment to formally register the death which must be done within 5 days of the MCCD having been issued.
Your loved one will remain in the hospital mortuary until you have either completed and signed a release form with the Funeral Director or provided written authority (email accepted) to the Funeral Director to include 3 points of verification i.e. Full name, Address, and Date of Birth.
When The Death Is Referred To The Coroner
If the death is unexpected* it will be immediately referred to the Coroner for their investigation. Sometimes the police/ambulance services may be called and involved, and the Coroner’s Funeral services will take the body into their care until such time that the body is released by the Coroner following the outcome of their investigations. A Coroner’s Case Worker is assigned to the family to help you and keep you informed and sometimes a Postmortem may be required. If further information and tests are needed the Coroner may decide to issue an interim certificate so that the funeral can take place.
If a PM is not required and the Coroner is satisfied with their enquiries they will arrange for the Registrar to contact you so that you may formally register the death and proceed with the funeral arrangements. A funeral service cannot be booked until the Coroner has released the body.
Sometimes when the death is expected, and the GP/doctor refers the death to the ME the ME may decide that the death needs to be referred to the Coroner for further investigation. The Coroner may decide that no further investigation is needed and will refer the case back to the GP/doctor for them issue the MCCD. They will inform you once this is done, enabling you to then contact the registrar to make an appointment to formally register the death which must be done within 5 days of the MCCD having been issued.
However, in other instances the Coroner may decide to make further investigation. Please see the above under the line ‘If the death is unexpected*’.
Registering a Death – Who May Register?
If the person died in a house or a hospital, the death can be registered by:
• A relative
• Someone present at the death
• An official from the hospital
• The person arranging the Funeral
Deaths occurring anywhere else can be registered by:
• A relative
• Someone present at the death
• The person who found the body
• The person in charge of the body
• The person arranging the Funeral
You can book an appointment with the Registrar using their on-line booking system, but it will be a face-to-face appointment with them. When booking your appointment, you can register the death with any registrar within the county of where the person has died. If you want to book an earlier appointment other than the available registrar local to you, you can go elsewhere. You can order your formal copies of the Death Certificate when booking, and you will be issued with a Green Form (along with your Death Certificates) that you must provide to the Funeral Director for the funeral service to proceed. There is also a ‘Tell Us Once’ service available for free that notifies most government departments for you of the death of your loved one, that you can ask the registrar for more information.
Registration must take place within 5 days of the issue of the MCCD. Most deaths are registered by a relative.
The Registrar would normally only allow other people if there are no relatives available.
Click the button below to visit the Government website and register a death.
Essex Registrars - Tel: 0345 603 7632 - www.essex.gov.uk/births-ceremonies-deaths
Documents & Information You Will Need
Documents:
When registering a death you will need the following:
• Medical Certificate of the Cause of Death
And if available:
• Council Tax bill
• Driving Licence
• Passport
• Proof of Address
• Birth Certificate
• NHS Medical Card
• Marriage / Civil Partnership Certificate
Information you will need to tell the Registrar:
• The person’s full name at time of death
• Any names previously used (e.g. maiden name)
• The person’s date and place of birth
• Their last address
• Their occupation
• The full name, date of birth and occupation of a surviving spouse, late spouse or civil partner
• Whether they were receiving a State Pension or any other benefit
Tell Us Once
Tell Us Once is a service that lets you report a death to most government organisations in one go.
Tell Us Once will notify:
• HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC)
• Department for Work and Pensions (DWP)
• Passport Office
• Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA)
• The Local Council
• Veterans UK
Click the button below to visit the Government website and use the service online.
Documents You Will Receive
If a post-mortem is not being held, the Registrar will issue you with:
• Certificate for Burial or Cremation (Green Form)
Given to the funeral director as soon as possible
• Certificate of Registration of Death (White Form)
Known as a BD8, this form is for DWP purposes
• Death Certificate
A certified copy of the entry into the register
If a post-mortem is being held to determine the cause of death and the deceased is to be cremated, the Coroner will issue a Form 6 Certificate to the Funeral Director.
Other Things That Need To Be Done
Not everything can be done straight away, particularly as this is a very difficult time for people to cope with, but it is important to:
• Make sure everyone who needs to know is told
• Arrange to see the deceased’s Solicitor and read the Will as soon as possible, this will tell you if there are any special funeral requests and who the Executors are.
• Start arranging the funeral
• Collect all the information and documents you need
Announcing A Death
Announcing A Death on Social Media
Social media is an important part of modern society and is often used to share the news when a loved one passes.
What Is A Death Announcement?
A death announcement, also known as a death notice, is traditionally placed in a newspaper. But in recent years people have posted more informal versions on social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
A death announcement normally includes the following information:
• Full name (including maiden name)
• Dates of birth and death
• Location of death
• Details regarding the funeral and/or memorial service
Create An Online Tribute
Creating an online Tribute in memory of a loved one is a special way to celebrate their life. We hope that it becomes a special place for you to remember and commemorate – enabling you to share photos and memories across the world.
Visit Much Loved's website here for more information.
Bereavement Help & Support
Please see links below that offer help during this difficult time:
Farleigh Hospice:
https://www.farleighhospice.org/advice-support/bereavement-support/circle
https://www.farleighhospice.org/advice-support/bereavement-support/yo-yo
Cruse Bereavement Support: www.cruse.org.uk
Livewell: www.livewellcampaign.co.uk
Papyrus – Prevention of young suicide: www.papyrus-uk.org
MIND – South East and Central Essex | Somewhere To Turn Service: www.secemind.org.uk/s2t