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What To Do When Someone Dies
When the death occurs in hospital
Unless present when death occurs, the relatives will be notified by the nursing staff as soon as possible. Arrangements can then be made with the Hospital Patient Affairs office staff to deal with the formalities. These will include collecting the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death (issued by a Hospital Doctor) and personal possessions of the deceased. The Hospital may also issue a ‘Release Form’, which needs to signed by the next of kin, releasing the deceased into our care.
When the death occurs at home
If the death was expected, as the deceased had been ill for some time, it would be normal to contact their Doctor or the on call Doctor who would then visit to certify that death had occurred and determine the cause of death. This may not happen immediately as the Doctor may be in his/her surgery or the death may happen in the middle of the night in which case you may decide to wait until morning before calling out the Doctor.
Later that day or the next, the Doctor will issue the relatives a form called the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death. This contains a list of who can register the death, known as Informants, at the local Registry Office and what information the Registrar will require.
For the details of the Bury St. Edmunds registrars office Tel 0345 607 2060 or book online here.
If you are uncertain whether someone has passed away then call the Doctor or dial 999 and ask for an ambulance. If the cause of death cannot be determined then the Doctor will refer the death to the coroner.
If the death occurs in another area
How to register a death
Who can register a death?
A close relative of deceased
A relative in attendance during last illness
A relative living in the district where death occurred
A person present at death
The person arranging the funeral (i.e. Next of kin or relative – not funeral director)
All appointments must be in person. Your appointment will last approximately 30 minutes.
For the Bury St. Edmunds registrar’s office telephone 0345 607 2060
Relatives should be informed by the Medical Examiner or the Coroner when the necessary documentation has been issued and given a reference number which may be needed to make the appointment.
Once documentation has been received by the Registration Service from the Medical Examiner or the Coroner for your relative you can book an appointment online using the following link:
The Appointment
Registration appointments are held in private rooms so information can be given in confidence. Please allow 30 minutes for the appointment. There is space for up to 3 people to attend the appointment.
At the end of the appointment the registrar will ask you to check the content of the entry carefully before signing. This is important because to correct any error discovered afterwards you will be charged a statutory correction fee of either £83 or £99. It could also mean a delay to the funeral.
You will be given:
- A Tell Us Once unique reference number to use the Tell Us Once service to inform local and national Government departments.
- Any death certificates purchased, which are £12.50 each. Certificates are purchased when you book your appointment online.
- An authorisation form for the crematorium or burial authority. This document is often referred to as the ‘green form’.
If you do not have confirmation that the documents have been sent, please notify us about the death by clicking the link below. We will make enquiries on your behalf and contact you when we have the necessary documentation.
Documents required
Medical Certificate of Death (from Dr’s or hospital/hospice)
Medical Card if available, or
Birth Certificate & information regarding date of birth
Information required to register
- the person’s NHS number
- the person’s birth certificate, if possible
- the name, email and address of your funeral director
The registrar will ask for the person’s:
- date and place of death
- full name (and any other names they used or maiden name)
- home address and postcode
- date and place of birth
- last job
- their spouse’s full name and job
Certificates
Once this is done, the registrar will:
- Hand you the ‘green form’. You need to give this to your funeral director. This is needed to plan the burial or cremation
- Give you your certificate(s)
Make sure you order enough death certificates. You will need these when you are arranging the finances of the person who has died and may need to give them to banks, insurance or pension companies and to the administrator of the will.
If you use the Tell Us Once service this will reduce the number of certificates you need.
There’s no fee for registering the death.
N.B. You have to make an appointment with the registrars.
For the details of the Bury St. Edmunds registrars office Tel 0345 607 2060 or book online.
The Coroner (Procurator Fiscal in Scotland)
The main duties of the Coroner are to investigate all sudden and unexpected deaths and also to give permission to remove a deceased person out of England and Wales if this is necessary.
Once a death has been reported to the Coroner he/she will decide what action is necessary following initial investigations of the facts surrounding the death by his/her officers. This may include a post-mortem examination to establish the cause of death.
The Coroner will arrange the task of transferring the deceased to the local hospital, which is often done under contract using one of the national or multi-national companies.
NB. This does not oblige the family in any way to use the services of that company.
The family still have the flexibility to select whichever funeral director they require without incurring any extra cost.
In the case of unnatural, unexplained, violent, or workplace deaths the Coroner will hold an inquest after a post-mortem. This will be open to the public and is to ascertain who the deceased was, how, when and where they died and the particulars legally needed to register the death. Often an inquest can be opened and adjourned to allow the funeral to take place.
Further details on the roles and responsibilities of the Coroner are available in a pamphlet published by the Home Office entitled “The work of the Coroner”, a copy of which can be obtained from us or downloaded in PDF form here.
