If the death occurs in hospital
If the death occurs in hospital, the hospital staff will contact the person
named by the deceased as next of kin. This may be, but need not be, a relative.
You may, if you wish, request to see the hospital chaplain. The hospital will
keep the body in the hospital mortuary until the executor arranges for it
to be taken away. Most funeral directors have a chapel of rest in which the
deceased will be held pending the funeral. Hospital staff will arrange for the
nearest relative to collect the deceased’s possessions.
If the death occurs elsewhere
Expected death
If the death was expected, contact the doctor who attended the deceased
during their final illness. If the doctor can certify the cause of death he or
she will give you the following:
- a Medical Certificate that
shows the cause of death (this is free of charge and will be in a sealed
envelope addressed to the registrar)
- a Formal Notice that
states that the doctor has signed the Medical certificate and tells you
how to get the death registered.
- You may wish to contact
the deceased’s minister of religion if you have not already done so.
Arrangements for the funeral may be made by a funeral
director.
If death followed illness from HIV or AIDS there may be special rules about
handling the body. The Terence Higgins Trust can advise on funeral
arrangements. They can be contacted at the following address:
Terence Higgins Trust
52-54 Grays Inn Road
London
WC1X 8JU
Helpline: 0845 1221 200
Email: info@tht.org.uk
Website: www.tht.org.uk
Unexpected death
If you discover a body or the death is sudden or unexpected, you should
contact the following people:
- The family doctor (if
known)
- The deceased’s nearest
relative
- The deceased’s minister of
religion
- The police, who will help
find the people listed above if necessary.
The death may be referred to the coroner.
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If the death occurs abroad
If the death occurred abroad, or on a foreign ship or aircraft, you should
register the death according to the local regulations of that country and get a
Death Certificate.
Also register the death with the British Consul so that a record of the
death will be kept in England. You will be able to get a copy of the Death
Certificate from the consulate later or from the:
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Nationality and Passport Section
Room E502
King Charles Street
London SW1A 2AH
Telephone: 020 7008 0186 (Open between 10am - 12noon Mon - Fri)
Email: BMDenquiries@fco.gov.uk
website: www.fco.gov.uk
Cause of death
If the cause of death is quite clear the doctor will give you a Medical
Certificate and a Formal Notice that the Medical
Certificate has been signed.
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Post-mortem
If the death was known to be caused by a natural illness but the doctors
wish to know more about the cause of death, they may ask the relatives for
permission to carry out a post-mortem examination. This is a medical
examination of the body which can find out more about the cause of death and
should not delay the funeral.
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Reporting a death to the coroner
In any of the following circumstances the doctor may report the death to the
coroner (for
more details on what the coroner does):
- an accident or injury
- an industrial disease
- during a surgical
operation
- before recovery from an
anaesthetic
- if the cause of death is
unknown
- the death was sudden and
unexplained, for instance, a sudden infant death (cot death).
The coroner may be the only person who can certify the cause of death. The
doctor will write on the Formal Notice that the death has been referred to the
coroner.
If the doctor treating the deceased had not seen him or her, either after
death or within 14 days before death, the death must be reported to the
coroner.
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If the organs or body are to be donated
You will have to act quickly if it was the wish of the deceased or the
nearest relative to donate the organs for transplant, or the whole body for
medical teaching purposes.
The usual procedure is to approach the next of kin to make sure they do not
object to organ donation.
If the death was in a hospital or similar institution, the head of that
institution is lawfully in possession of the body. They may honour the
deceased’s request, in writing or orally before two witnesses, for the body to
be given for medical research, if there is no reason to think the request
withdrawn.
If the death has to be reported to the coroner, the coroner’s consent may be
necessary before the organs or body can be donated. A medical certificate must
be issued before any organs can be removed or the body used.
It is usual for kidneys, and essential for heart,
lungs, liver and pancreas, to be removed from donors:
- who have been certified
to be brain stem dead
- and whose
breathing, and hence heartbeat, are maintained by a ventilator in a
hospital intensive care unit.
Kidneys can, very rarely, be removed up to an hour after
heart death. Other organs can be removed up to the following times after heart
death:
- the corneas
(from the eyes) – up to 24 hours
- skin –
up to 24 hours
- bone –
up to 36 hours
- Heart valves
– up to 72 hours.
The doctor attending will advise on procedure. After organ donation, the
body is released to the relatives.
The coroner
The coroner is a doctor or lawyer responsible for investigating deaths in
the following situations:
- the deceased was not
attended by a doctor during the last illness or the doctor treating the
deceased had not seen him or her either after death or within the 14 days
before death
- the death was violent or
unnatural or occurred under suspicious circumstances
- the cause of death is not
known or is uncertain
- the death occurred while
the patient was undergoing an operation or did not recover from the
anaesthetic
- the death was caused by an
industrial disease
- the death occurred in
prison or in police custody.
If you want advice or information about a death which has been reported to
the coroner, contact the coroner’s office. You can get the address from the
police station or, if death was in hospital, the hospital official dealing with
deaths.
Coroner's post-mortem
The coroner may arrange for a post-mortem examination
of the body. The consent of the relatives is not needed, but they are entitled
to be represented at the examination by a doctor. When relatives have told the
coroner they wish to be represented, the coroner will, if at all practicable,
tell them when and where the examination will be.
If the death occurs in hospital, the coroner will arrange for the
examination to be carried out by a pathologist other than one employed at or
connected with that hospital, if a relative asks the coroner to do so
and if it does not cause an undue delay.
The removal of a body from the place of death to the mortuary for
post-mortem examination will usually be paid for by the coroner. The relatives
may choose the funeral director.
However, in some areas a funeral director will be appointed by the coroner
to remove the body from the place of death to the hospital mortuary. The
relatives can then choose a funeral director to carry out the funeral, once the
coroner has released the body.
If the post-mortem shows that death was due to natural causes, the coroner
may issue a notification known as Pink Form B (form 100) which
gives the cause of death so that the death can be registered. The coroner
usually sends the form direct to the registrar but may give it to you to
deliver.
If
the body is to be cremated the coroner will give you the
Certificate for Cremation (form E) which allows cremation to take
place.
Inquest
An inquest is an enquiry into the medical cause and
circumstances of a death. It is held in public, sometimes with a jury. It is up
to the coroner how to organise the enquiry in a way to best serve the public
interest and the interests of the relatives.
The coroner will hold an inquest if the death was:
- violent or unnatural
- or
caused by a reportable industrial disease
- or the
death occurred in prison
- or if
the cause of death remains uncertain after post-mortem examination.
Coroners hold inquests in these circumstances even if the death occurred
abroad (and the body is returned to Britain). If a body is lost (usually at
sea) a coroner can hold an inquest by order of the Secretary of State if death
is likely to have occurred in or near a coroner’s jurisdiction.
If an inquest is held, the coroner must inform the following people:
- the married partner of the
deceased
- the nearest relative (if
different)
- And the personal
representative (if different from above).
Relatives can attend an inquest and ask questions of witnesses but they may
only ask questions about the medical cause and circumstances of the death.
It may be important to have a lawyer to represent you if the death was
caused by a road accident, or an accident at work, or other circumstances which
could lead to a claim for compensation. You cannot get legal aid for
this. If the enquiries take some time, ask the coroner to give you a letter
confirming the death. You can use this letter for social security and National
Insurance (NI) purposes.
The coroner may give you an Order for Burial (form 101) or
a Certificate for Cremation (form E) so that the funeral can
take place. This may be done before the inquest is completed, provided the body
is not required for further examination. The coroner will also send a Certificate
after Inquest (form 99 (rev)), stating the cause of death, to the
registrar. This allows the death to be registered.
Moving a body out of England or Wales
Only the coroner can give permission for a body to be moved out of England
or Wales. This permission has to be obtained at least 4 days before the body is
to be moved (although the coroner may be able to give permission sooner) so
that any necessary enquiries may be carried out. Afterwards you will be given a
Removal Notice (form 104), part of which is sent to the
registrar after the funeral. Permission must be obtained whenever the funeral
is to take place outside England or Wales.
This procedure applies in all cases where the body is to be moved out of
England or Wales, not just where a death was reported to the coroner.
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The initial arrangements
You will need to
decide:
- where the body is to rest while
awaiting the funeral
- the time and place of the
funeral
- how much you intend to spend on the
funeral
- whether to have a funeral service
- whether to have flowers, or to make any
donations to a named charity
- whether to put a notice in the
newspapers
-
- whether to order a website or
online obituary
- Whether the body should be buried or
cremated.
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When
registering a death
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You will
usually get a
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From
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If the death is not referred to a coroner
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Medical Certificate
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the doctor
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In all cases
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Formal Notice
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the doctor
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If a baby is stillborn
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Medical Certificate of Stillbirth
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the doctor or midwife
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If the death is referred to a coroner but there is no
inquest
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Notification by the Coroner (Pink Form B/
form 100)
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the coroner (this is usually sent direct to the registrar,
but you may be asked to deliver it)
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If there is an inquest and the body is to be buried
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Order for Burial (form 101)
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the coroner
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If there is a post-mortem or an inquest and the body is to
be cremated
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Certificate for Cremation (form E)
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the coroner
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If the body is to be moved out of England or Wales
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Removal Notice (form 104)
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the coroner
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