In Times of Bereavement

In the unfortunate event that a person has passed away, there are three things that must be done in the first few days;

  • Get a medical certificate from your GP or hospital doctor (this is necessary to register the death)
  • Try to register the death within 5 days (8 days in Scotland). You will then receive the necessary documents for the funeral.
  • Make the necessary funeral arrangements.

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.

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.
Contact the Cemeteries and Crematorium Department of your local council to arrange a funeral yourself.
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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.

Medical Examiner Service

The role of medical examiner is a nationwide system which has been developed within all hospital trusts and recently within the community setting.

A medical examiner is an independent senior consultant/doctor working to make sure that the information contained on the medical certificate of cause of death (MCCD) is accurate and that referrals to the coroner are performed in a timely and appropriate manner. Alongside other specially trained staff, their job is to give independent advice into causes of deaths; except for deaths which have to be reviewed by a Coroner.

Their first responsibility is to the deceased and their next of kin. They make sure that the law is applied correctly so that referrals to the coroner are right first time, every time and that there is accuracy in the causes of death.

Medical Examiners and their staff (usually called Medical Examiner Officers) offer families and carers an opportunity to raise questions or concerns about the cause of death of a loved one or about the care they received beforehand. This will usually be done over the phone and, if required, a meeting can be arranged.

A key role of the Medical Examiner is to make it easier for the bereaved to understand the wording on the Medical Certificate which explains the cause of death. Medical Examiners also look at the relevant medical records and discuss the causes of death with the doctor completing the MCCD.

The medical examiner has to be independent and therefore will not have been involved in the care of the deceased. They will review the care records and along with the treating doctor, ascertain a cause of death to the best of their knowledge and belief, to enable the death certificate to be written. Where a cause of death cannot be ascertained or, if during review it is found to be required, the medical examiner and referring doctor will make a referral to the coroner.

Medical Certificate of Cause of Death (MCCD)

A medical certificate of cause of death (MCCD) is required to register a death.

If the death of your loved one needs to be referred to the coroner, the medical examiner officers will tell you about this and the process which will need to be followed.

For all deaths that don’t need to be referred to the coroner, the treating doctor will complete the MCCD and send this to the medical examiner office, together with any supporting paperwork.

The MCCD and health records will then be reviewed by an independent doctor, known as a medical examiner.

There is also an opportunity for you to raise any concerns you have regarding care or treatment or ask questions about the cause of death.

This is a new, official process for all deaths which do not need a coroner.

Once the medical examiner has reviewed the MCCD and is satisfied with what is written, the medical examiner officer will call you to go through the cause of death. If you have no questions or concerns, the medical examiner officer will then send the MCCD over to the registrar on your behalf.

You will then be able to make an appointment a couple of hours later to register your loved one’s death.