First Steps
WHAT TO DO IN THE EVENT OF a DEATH
Please note: In the case of a sudden death at home, the paramedics may call a funeral director (that is on duty, for the coroner) to take the deceased to hospital.
CONTACT
You do not have to use the same funeral director to provide a funeral service. It is your choice to decide on which funeral director you would like to use.
If the death was expected and natural you may call your chosen funeral director immediately after contacting the deceased's doctor's surgery and informing them of the death where they will arrange for the doctor or locum to come and certify the death.
At hospital
If a death occurs in hospital, the doctor attending the patient would issue a Medical Certificate of Cause of Death. The hospital will inform you of where and when the certificate will be made available for collection.
On the occasion that the doctor is unable to issue a Medical Certificate of Cause of Death the Coroner will be informed. The Coroner will investigate the death and come to a decision on whether a post-mortem will need to take place or allow the doctor to issue a Medical Certificate of Cause of Death. In the event that an inquest is required the Coroner will issue appropriate certificates for burial or cremation enabling the funeral to proceed.
At home, in a nursing home or hospice
The first contact should be with the deceased’s doctor who, if satisfied with the cause of death, will issue the Medical Certificate of the Cause of Death. In some cases you may be asked to collect the certificate from the surgery. In the case of a nursing home or hospice death, their staff should liaise with the doctor. If the funeral is to be followed by cremation, please advise the nursing home or general practitioner’s surgery staff so they can make arrangements for the Medical Certificates for Cremation to be completed.
For more information go to https://www.gov.uk/after-a-death
Contact Om Funeral Services (0116 319 2920) as soon as possible so that we can arrange for the transfer of your loved one to our chapel of rest , and we can discuss and make the necessary arrangements for the funeral to take place.
