The days immediately following a bereavement are a difficult and emotional time. Everyone grieves in their own way and there are no set time frames, no right or wrong ways to feel, act or cope and no convenient guidelines to follow. Whilst dealing with all these challenging and often overwhelming feelings, there are still things that need to be addressed quickly, and I hope that the following information might offer a little guidance.

There are two things you need to do in the first few days after someone dies:

1. Obtain a Medical Certificate of Cause of Death from a GP or hospital doctor.

2. Register the death.

Obtaining the medical certificate depends on where the person died.

· When someone dies in hospital, the general office at the hospital will arrange for this to be completed. If the person has not been seen by a hospital doctor, their GP may be able to issue a death certificate instead.

· When someone dies in a hospice or in a nursing home, the GP will usually issue this.

· When someone dies at home, the first step is to call the GP as soon as possible. They will normally visit the house and, if the death was expected, issue a certificate giving the cause of death. If the person did not have a GP or you do not know the name of the GP, you should call an ambulance instead.

It is important to understand that a doctor is not allowed to issue a certificate if they are unsure about the cause of death. This may be because they have not seen them recently. If the cause of death is unknown, sudden or unexpected, it may be reported to the coroner who may need to carry out an investigation. In this case the Coroner’s Office will issue the required certificate once a cause of death has been established.

There is no charge for the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death, but if cremation is to take place, a second doctor will be needed to sign a further certificate to confirm that the body has been examined, and there will be a charge for this. Your Funeral Director will be able to advise you about this.

The registration of the death is the formal record of the death and is only done by the Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages at the Register Office. You will need to contact the Registry Office to make an appointment.

When someone dies at home, the death should be registered at the register office in the district where they lived. If the death took place in hospital or in a care home it must be registered at the register office for the district in which the hospital or care home is situated. The hospital administrator can do this if there are no relatives.

Be aware that it is a criminal offence not to register a death and that it should be done within five days (eight in Scotland), including weekends and bank holidays. However, the deadline may be extended if the registrar is told that a medical certificate has been issued. If the coroner is involved, the death cannot be registered until they have given written authority to the registration service.

Make sure that you take the Medical Certificate of the Cause of Death with you, as the death cannot be registered until the registrar has seen this. They may also wish to see the person’s:

· Birth certificate

· Marriage/civil partnership certificate

· NHS medical card

· Passport

· Driver’s licence

· Council Tax bill

· Proof of address e.g. a utility bill

Don’t worry if you can’t find all of these documents – you’ll still be able to register the death without them. Just tell the registrar when you arrange the appointment.

The death should be registered in person and is usually done by a relative. However, someone else can do it if:

· They were present at the time of the death

· They are an administrator from the hospital in which the person died

· They are the person making funeral arrangement

If none of these options are possible, contact the Register Office for advice.

The registrar will ask you for the following information:

· The date and place of death

· The full name of the person

· Any names previously used e.g. maiden name

· Their last address

· Their date and place of birth (including the town and the county)

· Their occupation, or last occupation if retired

· The full name, date of birth and occupation of a surviving or late spouse or civil partner

· Whether they were receiving a state pension or other any benefits

Once the death has been registered, the registrar will give you a Certificate for Burial and Cremation, often known as “the green form”. This form is free and is needed for the burial or cremation to go ahead. It should be given to the funeral director or whoever is arranging the funeral.

The registrar will also give you a form to send to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), to allow them to deal with the person’s pension and benefits. This is also free.

The Death Certificate is a copy of the entry made by the registrar in the register. While there is no charge to register a death, you have to pay for any additional copies you need. You may need several in order to deal with money or property left by the person, including banks, building societies, pensions and the Will. The registrar can help you decide how many you need.

For more information about registring a death, visit: https://www.gov.uk/register-a-death

Some people wish to start the funeral arrangements as soon as possible, whilst others prefer to have some time to think things through. There is no right or wrong answer, so just do what feels right for you.

You may already have an idea of which funeral home you would like to use or be given recommendations from friends or family, but don’t feel that you must go with the first one you approach. If you are comfortable with the options you are being offered, and the cost, then that is fine, but it is perfectly acceptable to speak to a number of different companies to find the one that best suits your needs.

The Natural Death Centre has lots of useful information about arranging a funeral, including questions to ask funeral directors. They also offer advice if you are planning to make your own arrangements, which is certainly allowed, although less usual than asking a funeral director to make them on your behalf. For more information visit: http://www.naturaldeath.org.uk