In the unfortunate event that a person has passed away, the process for GP’s providing a death certificate has changed. This change adds some extra steps to the process which means that all deaths in England and Wales that are not referred to the Coroner will have to be referred to the Medical Examiners Office.
The Medical Examiners will review the deceased’s medical records and work with both doctors and family to complete the death certificate. They will often talk to the family about their experience of care and discuss and agree the proposed death certificate with them.
It is only once the medical examiner has reviewed the above that the Death Certificate will be issued and the Medical Examiner will forward this directly to the Registrars Office.
Further information can be found on the NHS England website.
Register the death
If the death has been reported to the coroner (or Procurator Fiscal in Scotland) they must give permission before registering the death.
You can register the death if you are a relative, a witness to the death, a hospital administrator or the person making the arrangements with the funeral directors.
You can use the ‘Register a Death’ page on the gov.uk website that will guide you through the process. This will also explain the registration process for Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Arrange the funeral
The funeral can usually only take place after the death is registered. Most people use a funeral director, though you can arrange a funeral yourself.
Funeral directors
Choose a funeral director who’s a member of one of the following:
- National Association of Funeral Directors
- National Federation of Funeral Directors
- Society of Allied and Independent Funeral Directors
These organisations have codes of practice – they must give you a price list when asked.
Some local councils run their own funeral services, for example for non-religious burials. The British Humanist Association can also help with non-religious funerals.
Arranging the funeral yourself
Contact the Cemeteries and Crematorium Department of your local council to arrange a funeral yourself.
Funeral costs
Funeral costs can include:
- Funeral director fees
- Things the funeral director pays for on your behalf (called ‘disbursements’ or ‘third-party costs’), for example, crematorium or cemetery fees, or a newspaper announcement about the death
- Local authority burial or cremation fees
Funeral directors may list all these costs in their quotes.
Further Support
Bereavement, grief and loss can cause many different symptoms and they affect people in different ways. There’s no right or wrong way to feel.The NHS bereavement support pages offer further advice and support.
There are a range of services and organisations that can provide support and counselling if you have lost a loved one. These include both local and national services.
Bereavement Counselling – Crewe Outreach
Survivors of Bereavement by Suicide
Robins Bereavement Support Groups
