Dealing with Death

Dealing with Death

What to do when someone dies at home


If you are expecting a death or if a death has occurred at home, follow these steps:

Notify the deceased's doctor or call the NHS Helpline 111 to have a medical professional certify the death. If it is outside of regular hours, an on-call doctor or senior nurse can fulfil this role.

Contact our office as soon as the death has been certified. We will make arrangements to transfer the deceased to our Chapel of Rest.

Collect the Medical Certificate from the doctor's surgery

Arrange an appointment with the Registrar's Office to register the death. In England and Wales, the death must be registered within 5 days, while in Scotland, it should be done within 8 days. Contact the Registrar's Office in the area where the death occurred.

Call our office to discuss and make arrangements for the direct cremation.

What to do when someone dies in hospital


Here are the steps to follow if you're expecting or someone has already died in hospital:

Reach out to the bereavement office to obtain the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death required for registering the death. The bereavement office will guide you about when and how to collect the certificate needed for registration.

Get in touch with the Registrar's Office to schedule an appointment for registering the death. In England and Wales, the death must be registered within 5 days, while in Scotland, it must be done within 8 days. Contact the Registrar's Office in the area where the deceased person resided.

Contact a funeral director to initiate the funeral arrangements and arrange for the transportation of your loved one from the hospital to our Chapel of Rest.

Give us a call to make the necessary arrangements for the direct cremation..

Death in a Care Home


If you're expecting or have experienced a death in a care home, please take the following steps:

When someone passes away in a care home, the attending doctor will be notified to confirm the death.

Subsequently, the doctor will issue a Medical Certificate of Cause of Death, which is required for registering the death. The doctor's office will contact you to arrange the collection of the certificate.**

Once the death has been verified, please reach out to us at Thomas Furber. We are available day and night to collect your loved one, and our highly professional team will take care of them until the funeral.

Contact the Registrar's office to schedule an appointment for registering the death. In England and Wales, the death must be registered within 5 days, while in Scotland, it must be done within 8 days. Contact the Registrar's Office in the locality where the deceased person resided.**

Give our office a call to make the necessary arrangements for the memorial.

How To Register A Death

  1. If the death is under investigation by a coroner, you must wait for their permission before registering it.
  2. To ensure a smooth registration process, it is crucial to register the death within 5 days at the local Registrar's Office where the death occurred.
  3. In case you are unable to visit the office or face any difficulties, please contact the registrar promptly.
  4. To minimise waiting time, make an appointment with the Registrar's Office as soon as possible.
  5. Check the registrar's availability and whether you need someone to accompany you to provide the necessary information during the registration process.
  6. If the death has been referred to a coroner, registration can only take place after receiving authorization from the coroner. You will be notified by H. M. Coroner about the Register Office appointment.
  7. You have the flexibility to provide the registration information to any registrar in England and Wales. However, you must visit the chosen registrar's office to declare the details of the deceased.
  8. Following your declaration, the information will be forwarded to the registrar of the sub-district where the death occurred for official registration. Please note that this may cause a slight delay in receiving the certificates and finalising the direct cremation date.


*Source:  GOV.UK

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