Bereavement

At this difficult time, you may need some additional information and support to deal with the issues that you are facing.

The https://www.gov.uk/after-a-death website also provides a step by step guide about what you need to do next.

If the death occurs at home

  1. Phone the practice who can arrange for a visit to confirm that death has taken place
  2. Contact a funeral director
  3. Arrange to collect a doctor’s medical certificate of death (usually from the surgery)
  4. Take the letter to the Registrar’s Office – you can find the details for your local office at https://www.gov.uk/register-offices along with the deceased medical card and birth certificate if available
  5. The Registrar will normally issue a green coloured certificate for you to give to your funeral director who can then make the arrangements for the funeral with you.
  6. The registrar will also issue a white notification certificate for the DSS. It is a good idea to get additional copies as these are official documents and so photocopies will not be accepted, and you may be asked to provide copies for other organisations e.g. pensions. There is a fee payable for each copy, but it will probably be useful for you to have extra copies to hand as you complete other paperwork.

If the death occurs in hospital

  • Contact a funeral director to let them know that their services will be required
  • Collect the certificate from the hospital and then follow steps 3-6 as above.

  • Cruse

    Exists to promote the well-being of bereaved people and to enable anyone bereaved by death to understand their grief and cope with their loss. Provides counselling and support and offers information, advice, education and training services.

    Website
    Cruse Bereavement Support

  • Stillbirth and Neonatal Death Society (SANDS)

    A national charity, established by bereaved parents which aims to support anyone affected by the death of a baby. It works in partnership with health professionals to improve the quality of care and services offered to bereaved families and to promote research and changes in practice that could help to reduce the loss of babies’ lives.

    Website
    Sands