When a Loved One Dies at Home.
What you need to do in the event of a death.
Introduction.
Losing a loved one is of course one of the most distressing events that can happen to anyone. This guide is designed to help you manage as best you can by giving you some of the vital information you will need.
Whether you are able to read it in advance because of a known diagnosis or whether something has suddenly happened, we hope that you will find it useful.
The doctors and team at the surgery are here to help, and this guide will also help guide you to the many other people and organizations that are there to support you through a difficult time.
Expected Deaths.
Contact your GP immediately either at the surgery:
01905 368502 during surgery hours (between 8.00am – 6.30pm)
Out-of-hours - contact 111
If death occurs during the night (between 6.30pm and 8am) you do not need to contact a doctor until the following morning.
If District Nurses are involved they can also be contacted on
01905 368504 (between 8.30am and 5.00pm)
Twilight nursing team - 07798 686071 (between 5.00pm and 8.30am)
Weekend nurse on duty: 07979 074932
The death can then be verified by either a registered Nurse or Doctor and a certificate, confirmation of death, will be completed. Please note that this is not the official Death Certificate. The nurse or doctor will confirm to you that everything necessary has been done to ensure that the person’s body can be left in situ and for how long.
Please be aware that even in the case of an expected death you are likely to feel shocked and distressed. It is a good idea to make yourself some strong tea – with sugar! – and to take things slowly. Bear in mind that you may not take in information as readily as usual, and you may want to write things down in order to remember them.
The funeral director can then be contacted and the deceased released to their care. They are there to offer lots of helpful advice – and you can talk to them if you have concerns of any kind.
Funeral Directors
Funeral Directors provide a 24hr service and can arrange for the deceased to be taken to a funeral home day or night. They normally respond within 2 hours.
Local Providers
AV Band Funeral Directors - 01905 22892
Co-Operative Funeralcare - 01905 22137
E.J Gumery & Sons - 01905 22094
Bedwardine Funeral Services - 01905 748811
Powell & Family - 01905 729634
Philip Tomlins Funeral Directors - 01905 422666
Hoskins Family Funeral Services - 01905 27862
The Death Certificate.
The patient’s regular GP can then prepare the death certificate. This may take up to 48 hours as the doctor completing the death certificate must have seen the patient within 28 days prior to death.
It is not unusual for the doctor to discuss the cause of death with the coroner, even if the death was clearly from natural causes. This will be necessary if the deceased died suddenly, and had not been under a doctor’s care during the past 28 days. This does not mean that a post-mortem examination is necessary, but the Death Certificate cannot be released until confirmation of the Coroners agreement has been received.
If the deceased was subject of a DOLS (Deprivation of Liberty Status), the coroner would also be informed prior to the death certificate being issued. This may apply to patients in care and nursing homes, so this should be established with the care home, coroner’s office or surgery as it may not be lawful to proceed with the funeral until the coroner has given permission.
Registering the death.
Once the GP has completed the death certificate, this has to be sent to the medical examiner. Once the medical examiner has verified the paperwork they will contact a relative to advise that an appointment can now be arranged with the Registrar to formally register the death.
You can call them on 01905 768181.
The process takes about 30 minutes and the registrar will guide you.
You will almost certainly need extra copies of the death certificate in order to inform bank etc. The registrar can provide them for you, there will be an extra charge for them, but they will be less expensive than asking for them later.
The registration should be done within 5 working days of the death; it is possible for this to be extended in certain circumstances but this needs to be discussed with the Registrar.
If your loved one is to be cremated, the surgery will email all the necessary paperwork to the chosen funeral directors.
In the event of a sudden death.
Contact the emergency services on 999.
Both Ambulance and Police will be mobilised. You should leave the area untouched, except for any action needed for resuscitation.
If there is any suspicion that a crime has been committed, then the police family liaison officer will guide you through the process.