Help & Advice Stoke-on-Trent

We have collated some helpful information and advice in order to help you at this difficult time. It is essential that you acquire assistance from a professional who will be able to support you at every step of the journey. We ensure to provide complete compliance, a compassionate approach and information on what to do when a death occurs as well as funeral wishes.

What To Do When a Death Occurs

It is important that you register a death within 5 days in England. This includes weekends and bank holidays. After registering the death, you should make sure that you have the right documentation available. This is a medical certificate that confirms what caused the death. You can acquire this either from the coroner’s office, hospital or doctor’s practice. Other information required includes the date of birth, location of birth, address, birthday, occupation and the name, birthday and occupation of the spouse, if relevant.

When the death has been registered, you will receive a certificate for the cremation or burial that you will need to pass on to your funeral director. You should also make sure to let the relevant people and organisations know that a death has taken place. See useful contacts below.

If a Death Occurs At Home

When death occurs at home or care home a qualified practitioner (this may be a district nurse, paramedic or GP) will be required to attend to certify the death before your loved one can be taken into our care. Take time to appreciate those final moments together before making the phone call to us. The GP will be notified of the death and should notify you when the medical certificate with cause of death has been issued.

If a Death Occurs In a Hospital

When a death occurs in hospital or hospice a qualified practitioner will certify the death before removing your loved one to the hospital/hospice mortuary. The bereavement team at the hospital will liaise with you and will notify you when the medical certificate with cause of death has been issued.

Coroners

The coroner may be notified due to a number of factors that prevent the issue of the medical certificate with cause of death, such as the death being unexpected or unexplained. A post mortem may be carried out which may delay the funeral pending the outcome of investigations.

Registering A Death

When the medical certificate with cause of death has been issued the Hospital Bereavement Team or GP should notify you that is has been issued and this will enable you to make an appointment to register the death and to obtain a copy of the death certificate. This should be done within 5 days of the death. The registrar will issue the necessary paperwork to enable the funeral to go ahead.

Funeral Wishes

Dying Matters is a charitable organisation that aspires to assist individuals by openly discussing issues such as bereavement and death. This is in order to break the silence surrounding it and begin making preparations for their end of life so that everyone can get a dignified farewell.

‘Talking more openly about dying and planning ahead, through discussing your funeral wishes, can help us to get our wishes met and spare our loved ones from having to deal with the consequences if we haven’t got our affairs in order.” – A statement by Claire Henry, Chief Executive of Dying Matters.