What to do when someone dies
Issuing
the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death
This is the first step. How it is issued will depend on whether the deceased was at home or in a hospital or care home.
At home - you will need to contact the deceased’s doctor. The doctor will issue certificate for you to collect from the surgery.
In a hospital or care home – the staff will contact the next of kin and then arrange for a doctor to issue the certificate
In some cases, where the doctor is unsure about the actual cause of death, or
If someone has died suddenly and has not been under a doctor’s care during the past
14 days, they will contact the Coroner or Procurator Fiscal (in Scotland).
Taking responsibility for the funeral arrangements
The executor (person appointed in the Will to carry out its requests) or relative is responsible for making all the necessary decisions and funeral arrangements.
Contacting the funeral director
You should contact us as soon as possible to arrange a convenient time for you to visit our premises to discuss the funeral arrangements.
Taking care of the deceased
At this stage, we will discuss taking your loved one into our care and where the deceased is to rest before the funeral.
How we support you initially when someone dies:
- Making all the appropriate arrangements, once you have decided whether you would like the deceased to rest at home or at our funeral home
- If the Coroner or Procurator Fiscal is involved, we will advise you on the procedure and liaise with them on your behalf
