WELCOME

Take a breath. It can seem overwhelming that you're having to think of logistical things and paperwork at a time when you may be feeling so many different emotions: disbelief, numbness, relief that suffering has ended, anger, sadness or a mix of them all - everyone's grief is individual and unique.

We've got your back and we're going to take you through this step by step. It may seem a lot now but take it day by day, go back and forth between the pages and ask friends or family for help if you need to.


FIRST THINGS FIRST

Where and how the death happened will affect what happens next.

The circumstances and location of the death will differ in each case and the process may be different if it occurred in a hospice, due to an accident or if it was unexplained; but hopefully knowing some of the basic timeline of things will help.

Whoever you choose as your funeral directors will help you with a lot of this, but it's useful to know in advance how things will happen in order to help you plan the funeral or cremation. 

It’s worth knowing that from 9 September 2024, all deaths in England and Wales that are not investigated by a coroner are now reviewed by NHS Medical Examiners. They are basically senior doctors who review the death. Their introduction is part of a plan by the Department of Health and Social Care to try and simplify the process, provide more independent scrutiny for the bereaved and answer their questions. It should also reduce the number of cases that used to be dealt with by coroners and, hopefully, speed the system up.



CAUSE OF DEATH CERTIFICATE

The priority is for the death to be verified (if it hasn’t been already) and certified ie. for doctors to issue what’s called a 'medical certificate of cause of death', which is also known as an MCCD.

Please note, slightly confusingly, this is different from a 'death certificate,' which is what you get once you’ve registered the death with your local registry office.

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT DEPENDS ON WHERE THE DEATH OCCURRED

  • If the death was expected (e.g. due to a terminal illness) and at home then it will need to be verified by a trained medical professional such as a doctor or nurse. The deceased's GP surgery can help to do this. Once the death is verified it’s shared with a Medical Examiner who will notify you when they send the ‘medical certificate of cause of death' (MCCD) to the registrar

  • If the death was unexplained or unexpected and at home then it is likely you called 999 and medical professionals such as a paramedic and/or the police are already involved. It may be that a coroner will then be called to establish the cause of death, so the process of getting a cause of death certificate (the MCCD) may take a bit longer

  • If the death was in a hospice or hospital then the loss will be verified/ certified by a doctor or trained medical professional, depending on if the death was expected or not. If your loved one saw more than one doctor during their final hours or days they may have to confer about the cause of death so it may take a bit longer to get the MCCD. The cause of death will be shared with the Medical Examiner who should then send the MCCD to the registrar and email you when that’s been done

  • If the death occurred abroad you have to register it with the local authority in the country where the person died. Read on the government’s website how to do that

  • The hospice/ hospital/GP will probably give you a booklet or some information that should have their bereavement office number on it. The bereavement office can help you make arrangements about the cause of death certificate being signed by the doctor or doctors who treated your loved one and other things, like grief counselling

  • Either you or the bereavement office will need to ensure you collect any possessions or arrange for things such as jewellery your loved one was wearing to be kept and given to you

  • Just to warn you, unfortunately the cause of death certificate can sometimes take a few days to get hold of and you may need to chase either the hospice/ hospital or bereavement office, or in some cases the doctor who cared for your loved one at the end. It’s worth knowing that if you can’t get hold of the doctor who is signing the MCCD through the NHS, if they work privately too you can try and get hold of them via their private practice’s medical secretary.

    We suggest you download or print out the Essential Sadmin Checklist now to help you with your planning.


Links:

Coroners 
Medical Examiners 

Photo: Tash Rosin