Registering A Death

When A Death Occurs

How To Register A Death

After the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death (MCCD, commonly referred to as the death certificate) has been emailed to the registrar, this will allow the registration of your loved one's passing to take place. Every death in England should be registered within five working days of the death certificate being issued.

If your loved one passed away suddenly or unexpectedly, the coroner will need to be involved to establish the medical cause of death. What happens if the coroner is informed?

When the registrars have received the Medical Certificate from the GP Surgery or Bereavement Services (depending where your loved one passed away) the registrars will contact you to arrange a face to face appointment to register your loved one's death.

A relative of the deceased, related by blood, marriage or civil partner
Any person present at the death
The occupier of the house or official of the hospital knowing of the death
The person arranging the funeral

Date and place of death
Name and surname of the deceased
Maiden name (if deceased was married and changed their name)
Date & place of birth
Occupation
Name & occupation of spouse (if deceased was married)
Usual address
Whether the deceased was in receipt of a pension or allowance from public funds
If the deceased was either married or a civil partner, the date of birth of the surviving partner will be required

You will be asked to sign the official entry in the register, which you should check thoroughly before you sign.

Deceased’s Birth Certificate
National Health Medical Card
Marriage Certificate

A green certificate which is called The Registrars Certificate for Burial or Cremation. This is a document that we need as the funeral director. This will either be emailed directly to us or you will be given a physical copy to give to us, either is fine.
A Certified Copy of an Entry of Death (commonly referred to as the death certificate) which is £12.50 per copy
Form BD8 for Social Security

The appointment with the registrar will take approximately 45 minutes.

If your loved has not been seen recently by their GP within the last 28 days or if they were a hospital patient and the ward doctor or registrar cannot give cause of death, it is a routine procedure to inform the Coroner's Office.

Sometimes when a death occurs at home, in addition to the doctor or paramedics, the Police may also be called to attend. This is a perfectly normal procedure and nothing to worry about. A report is usually filed the next working day to the Coroner's Office.

Before determining if a Medical Examination is required, the Coroner's Office will discuss the medical history with the GP, to see if they can give a probable cause of death which would be accepted by a registrar. They will also consult with the next of kin to ask questions about the general health of the deceased prior to the death occurring.

If no certificate can be issued then it will be necessary for the deceased to be conveyed to a local hospital for a medical examination. The amount of time this can take is variable and the Coroner's Office will advise the next of kin of timescales.

Should a sudden death occur in hospital the ward doctor or consultant will contact the local Coroner's Office to report the death. The same procedure as above will apply before a decision is taken to perform a medical examination and in some cases the opening of an inquest may be necessary.

The Coroner's Office will keep you fully informed and talk to you once the results of the medical examination are concluded.

They will also inform you about registration or if there is a reason for an inquest to be opened.

They are the best, I lost my husband and they couldn’t do enough for me and my family. All of the staff are wonderful.

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Further Information

Following the registration of your loved one's passing and there may be questions of things to think about before arranging their funeral. These pages are there to help and guide you.

Call 01455 637457

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