WHEN SOMEONE DIES

Family funeralS
- J WAGSTAFF

What to do when someone dies

AT a HOME

The first thing you need to do if there is a death in the family is to get in touch with your GP or an ambulance. If the death was expected, your GP will provide a certificate that explains the cause of death. This certificate will have to be submitted to the Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages. If the doctor is unsure about the cause of death, it will need to be reported to the coroner and the body of the deceased will need to be taken to the hospital for post-mortem.

AT a hospital

If the death takes place at a hospital, the hospital staff will issue a removal order from the deceased’s family and transfer the deceased to the mortuary. If needed, the hospital will ask to perform a post-mortem. Please make sure that you collect all the personal effects from the hospital and speak to them about the medical certificate. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us. We help families across Peacehaven, Saltdean Brighton and surrounding areas.

Overseas

If death happens abroad, it needs to be registered in accordance with the laws of the country in which the death occurred. The death also needs to be registered in the UK through the British Consulate of that country. A death should be registered with the Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages within 5 days, which should be done at the nearest registry office.

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