When a death occurs the sad duty of making funeral arrangements often falls to relatives or closest friends. Few of us have ever had to deal with this before and it only human to feel anxious.
Here at Richard Williams Funeral Directors our aim is to make each funeral personal, unique and representative of both the loved one lost and those making the funeral arrangements. Full support and advice can be given along each step before, during and after the funeral.
We hope that you find the information in this section useful. This section is primarily designed for use around the time of death when more immediate decisions are required and procedures surrounding paperwork and appointments need to be considered.
The circumstances of the death will dictate what action needs to be taken and when;
When a death occurs at home
Relatives must contact the Doctor who attended the deceased during their last illness. Sometimes the emergency Doctor has to be called if the family Doctor is not available. The Doctor will then come to certify that death has occurred and will issue a medical certificate. (In most cases this certificate is collected by the family from the Doctor’s Surgery.) The certificate is then required by the Registrar to register the death.
When the doctor has attended and the death has been certified, the relatives can contact us, and we will arrange for the deceased to be taken to our private Chapel of Rest.
Sudden death
When a death is sudden or unexpected you should contact the deceased’s family Doctor (if known). If the Doctor is unable to state the exact cause of death or issue a certificate, they will report the death to the Coroner’s Office. The local police may then need to take statements about the deceased from relatives. These statements will be given to the Coroner. The deceased will be taken to the Coroner’s Mortuary where a post-mortem examination may be held to establish the exact cause of death. When the coroner has completed this examination they will then issue a certificate for burial or cremation.
When a death occurs in hospital
If a death occurs in hospital the hospital will contact the nearest relative. The deceased will then be taken to the hospital mortuary until relatives have made funeral arrangements and registered the death. If a cremation is required, the deceased will remain in the hospital mortuary until Doctors have signed the necessary papers, which allow a cremation to take place.
The hospital will arrange for the nearest relative, if possible, to collect a medical certificate from the bereavement office and the hospital. This will be in a sealed envelope addressed to the Registrar stating the cause of death. This certificate is required by the Registrar, together with the deceased’s medical card to register the death.
When an inquest is necessary:
• The cause of death is uncertain after a post-mortem examination
• The death was violent or unnatural
• The death was caused by an industrial disease
An inquest is an enquiry into the medical cause and circumstances of death. The coroner will arrange the enquiry in a way to best serve the public as well as the interest of the relatives.
The death cannot be registered until the inquest has been held. If a death certificate is needed by the family before this, the coroner can (on request) issue an ‘interim’ death certificate. The coroner will issue an order for burial or cremation to allow the funeral to take place before the inquest.
Registering a Death
A death should normally be registered within 5 days unless the Coroner is investigating the circumstances surrounding the death.
It is preferable for a relative of the deceased to register the death. If a relative is not available then the following people can register the death;
• Someone present at the death
• The person making the funeral arrangements
• The occupier of the house where the death occoured
• An administrator of the hospital.
The procedure for registering a death is a simple question-and-answer interview between the registrar and the person reporting the death. The registrar will then issue a disposal certificate (Green) which needs to be given to the funeral director before burial or cremation.
Copies of the death certificate (White) may be obtained from the registrar for:
• Insurance purposes
• Probate• Solicitors
• Banks
• Post Office
• Savings Accounts, etc.
Documents required:
1 Medical Card,
2 Birth and Death certificate
3 N.I.Number
4 Pension book
5 Passport
6 Driving Licence
7 Blue badge
Which will enable the registrar to cancel up to 28 different organisations and government departments on your behalf.
Information required by the registrar:
1. Date and place of death
2. Full name of deceased (maiden name if applicable)
3. Date and place of birth
4. Occupation and home address
5. If married, full name and occupation of surviving spouse
Certificates – issued by the registrar:
1. Disposal certificate for the funeral director
2. Social Security certificate to be sent to the Department for Work and Pensions offices with any pension books (BD8)
3. Certificates for banks, insurance companies and solicitors
Please do not hesitate to contact us if you require any further help or assistance.
We are available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Richard Williams Funeral Directors
8 The Square
Northam
Bideford
Devon
EX39 1AR
07825 917657