What To Do When Someone Dies
What to do when someone dies
When someone dies there are many decisions which need to be made at what can be a very distressing time.
If the deceased had a funeral plan and had already chosen a funeral director, you should contact the selected funeral director. They will be able to guide you through the process of putting practical arrangements in place.
If the deceased had not selected a funeral director in advance, you can use our postcode search to find one in your local area.
Who to inform in the event of a death
If a death occurs at home, you should contact the deceased’s GP. If you don’t know who the GP is or if the deceased didn’t have one, you should call an ambulance.
You may also want to inform:
- Relatives
- Friends
- The deceased's executors - they may hold information regarding the deceased's funeral wishes
- The deceased's solicitor - they may hold information regarding the deceased's funeral wishes either in a will or funeral plan
- The deceased’s minister of religion (if applicable)
- The deceased’s employer
Once you have the medical certificate, you must register the death. In a small number of cases where the cause of death is unclear, sudden or suspicious for example, the doctor, hospital or registrar will report the death to the coroner or Procurator Fiscal in Scotland. In this situation funeral arrangements should not be made until consent is given. In some cases, a post mortem investigation may be required.
The process for registering a death, and the documents required to do so, can vary across the UK. Your funeral director can provide guidance on this process as well as putting funeral arrangements in place. Alternatively you can complete a short online survey here for information on registering a death.
For more information on what to do when you have lost a loved one, please contact your local funeral director.