The First Steps
If the death is at home you should contact the family doctor. In many cases, the certificate will need
to be collected from the surgery. If the death is in a hospital or residential home, those in charge will contact a doctor, who
will normally certify that death has taken place and issue a death certificate. If the cause of death
is uncertain, it will be reported to the Coroner. It is advisable to contact your funeral director without delay. Preliminary
arrangements may be made in advance of the registration of the death
if required. To find your nearest Funeral Director please phone any
of our listed Funeral Directors, who are available 24 hours a day,
365 days a year.
Bringing the Deceased into our Care
Do not feel that this has to take place immediately; some families wish to wait until other family
members have arrived to say their goodbyes at home. It is normal to await the attendance of a doctor before
arranging for the deceased to be collected by the Funeral Director.
Our staff members are trained to remove the deceased sensitively and efficiently with the utmost
respect. The deceased will usually be placed on a special stretcher-trolley and taken
to our premises. A pillow and clean sheet is always used and care is taken to follow instructions regarding
jewellery and other personal items. Remember you are always welcome to visit
our Chapels of Rest.
Registering a Death
All deaths need to be registered by the Registrar of Births, Marriages and Deaths in the district
where the death takes place. This should be done by a near relative within five days, unless the
Coroner is involved. We can tell you which Registrar you will need to visit, the times they are open, and whether
you need to make an appointment. The registrar will require the Medical Certificate of Death, the deceased's Medical Card if
available, and :
- Full name of the deceased, and maiden name if applicable
- The deceased's date and place of birth and death
- The deceased's home address
- If married, the date of birth of a surviving spouse
- The deceased's former occupation, where relevant
- Name and address of informant
- Informant's qualification for registering
The Registrar will issue a green certificate, which must be handed to your funeral director as
soon as possible, legally allowing burial or cremation to take place. The Registrar will also give you a special form for you to send to the Department of Work and
Pensions, with any pension or allowance books. You may purchase copies of the "Entry of death" which
would be needed to administer the estate and claim insurances or close accounts. It is possible to register the death from a distance if a visit to the local registrar is
impossible, however this may mean that a couple of extra days are needed before the funeral takes
place. This is know as "Registering the Death by Declaration."
The Coroner
There are a number of reasons why a death may have to be referred to the Coroner, including
unnatural or sudden deaths, regardless of how these may appear to have come about. Under such
circumstances, different registration procedures will be necessary. In part, this will depend on
whether there is to be a burial or a cremation, or if the Coroner has
requested an inquest.
A sudden death and the Coroner's intervention can naturally be very distressing, a a post mortem
examination may well be required to establish cause of death. You will have
many questions to ask at this time and we are available to answer these questions and keep you
well informed at each step.
Special Arrangements
We have considerable experience and back up facilities, and the following services present no difficulty :
- International Repatriation
- Repatriation from abroad
- Exhumations
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Colney Wood Burial Ground (acknowledged)
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