WHAT TO DO WHEN SOMEONE DIES

What to do when someone dies at home

If the death was expected, as the deceased had been ill for some time, it would be normal to contact their Doctor who would then visit to certify that death had occurred and determine the cause of death. This may not happen immediately as the Doctor may be in his/her surgery or death may happen in the middle of the night, in which case you may decide to wait until morning before calling out the Doctor.

Later that day or the next, the Doctor will issue the relatives a form called the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death. This contains a list of who can register the death, known as Informants, at the local Registry Office and what information the Registrar will require.

If you are uncertain whether someone is dead then call the Doctor or dial 999 and ask for an ambulance. If the cause of death cannot be determined then the Doctor will refer the death to The Coroner.

What to do when someone dies in hospital

Unless present when death occurs, the relatives will be notified by the nursing staff as soon as possible. Arrangements can then be made with the Hospital Administrative staff to deal with the formalities. These will include collecting the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death (issued by a Hospital Doctor) and personal possessions of the deceased. The Hospital may also issue a 'Release Form', which needs to signed by the next of kin, releasing the deceased into the care of the chosen Funeral Director.

What to do when someone dies elsewhere

If death occurs away from home then the initial formalities listed above will be completed by the Doctor or Hospital staff in that area. If relatives wish to bring the body home for the funeral then the arrangements in both areas, including transport, can be taken care of by a Funeral Director. 

REGISTERING A DEATH

Once the Doctor or Hospital has issued the Medical Certificate, the Informant must register the death within 5 days at the Registry Office for the sub-district in which the death occurred. If this is not possible the Registrar must be informed in writing.  The Medical Certificate and the deceased's Medical Card (if available) must be given to the Registrar.

The person registering the death will be asked for the following information about the deceased:

The date and place of death
The full name and usual address (and maiden name if applicable)
The date and place of birth
The occupation (and name and occupation of her husband if applicable)
Details of any pension or allowance from public funds
The date and place of birth of any surviving spouse
The full name and usual address of the Informant
The qualification of the Informant

A Death Certificate can then be obtained on payment of the prescribed fee. This will be needed for obtaining Probate or Letters of Administration, closing bank accounts and making claims on insurance policies.

The Registrar will also issue a green Registrar's Certificate for Burial or Cremation which will be needed by the Funeral Director, and a white Certificate of Registration of Death - Form 344/BD8 - which is for Social Security purposes to cancel the payment of pensions and allowances from public funds.  Without a Cause of Death the Registrar cannot allow the death to be registered.

THE CORONER

The main duties of the Coroner are to investigate all sudden and unexpected deaths and to give permission to remove bodies out of England and Wales.   Once a death has been reported to the Coroner he/she will decide what action is necessary following initial investigations of the facts surrounding the death by his/her officers. This may include a post-mortem examination to establish the cause of death and there may be a delay in making the funeral arrangements.

In the case of unnatural, unexplained, violent, or workplace deaths the Coroner will hold an inquest after a post-mortem. This will be open to the public and is to ascertain who the deceased was, how, when and where they died and the particulars legally needed to register the death. Sometimes an inquest can be opened and adjourned to allow the funeral to take place.

Further details on the roles and responsibilities of the Coroner are available in a pamphlet published by the Home Office entitled 'The work of the Coroner'.

ARRANGING A FUNERAL

A funeral is the last chance to say goodbye to a loved one and will be a very emotional time. It is of paramount importance that the arrangements are carefully considered as they can only be carried out once.

Most funerals are either Burials or Cremations. Burial at sea is a rare alternative. The majority of arrangements are made around what is termed a 'traditional' funeral. This is where the funeral procession, normally a hearse which carries the coffin and a limousine which transports the relatives, arrives at the home of the deceased. The relatives are collected and the procession moves on to a local church for the main part of the funeral service and then on to a cemetery or crematorium for the committal service. After the committal the relatives are returned to the deceased's home or another local address where refreshments are served to the mourners. Alternatively the whole funeral service can take place in the crematorium chapel or cemetery chapel, if available, followed by the committal at the grave.

A simplified version of the above arrangements, where the hearse travels directly to the crematorium or cemetery and meets the relatives there, is also available. Naturally the relatives provide their own transport to and from the crematorium or cemetery. As most people have cars this is no longer the problem that it once was.

Unfortunately there are too many variations on the 'traditional' or 'simple' funeral to list here.  Within reason and the existing law of the land, most requests can be catered for and arrangements made. There is no set pattern which has to be followed. The arrangements can be tailored to suit the family arranging the funeral.

Religion plays a major part in the way many funeral services are conducted. The majority of people in the UK are Christians and may choose to use the services of a traditional Minister.  However, where a family wishes to have a more spiritual representation, without alignment to a particular tradition or faith, they might like to consider the services of an Interfaith Minister, who can equally perform a service for those with no religious or spiritual beliefs - an alternative for the latter would be to use the services of a Humanist. 

CREMATION AND BURIAL INFORMATION

Cremation

There are two types of Crematoria in the UK, those that are owned by Local Authorities and those that are privately owned. The first Crematorium was founded in Woking, Surrey in 1879, with the first cremation taking place on 26th March 1885. Woking Crematorium is still in use today.  When a cremation is chosen as the preferred type of funeral, the Funeral Director will arrange for the necessary forms to be completed. There are two which need the nearest relative's signature.

Form 'A' The Application for Cremation is normally signed by an executor or the nearest relative and contains personal information about the deceased.

- Cremated Remains Instruction form is also signed by the above and authorises whether the Cremated Remains should be placed in the Garden of Remembrance or removed for disposal elsewhere.

Other forms need to be completed by Doctors. This can be arranged and the appropriate fees paid by the Funeral Director.

Form 'B' -Certificate of Medical Attendant signed by a Registered Medical Practitioner who attended the deceased during his/her last illness.

Form 'C' - Confirmatory Medical Certificate signed by a different Registered Medical Practitioner of at least five years standing who is of no relation to the deceased nor a relative or partner of the Doctor signing Form 'B'.

However, Forms 'B' and 'C' are not required when the Coroner has held a post-mortem examination as he/she will issue Form 'E' in place of them. Likewise the Registrar's Certificate for Burial or Cremation will not be issued when Form 'E' has been. There is no fee payable to the Coroner for Form 'E'.

Burials

A body can normally be buried in a Local Authority or Privately owned Cemetery (for example a Jewish Cemetery, or burial ground on a family estate) or in a Churchyard although most of these in urban areas are now full.

The family may already have a grave which can be re-opened, for example where a husband and wife wish to be buried together. Often a new grave is dug with space to allow for one, two or three further interments. This needs to be stipulated at the time of purchase. Alternatively the deceased can be buried in a Common grave.

All Local Authority and Commercially managed cemeteries require an Interment form signed by the nearest relative giving details about the deceased and of the grave to be dug. The Registrar's Certificate for Burial or Coroner's Order for Burial, must also be delivered to the relevant Authority. After burial a grave deed will be issued or in the case of re-opening an existing grave, amended and returned.

CEMETERY AND CHURCHYARD INFORMATION

Local Authority Cemeteries

Anyone can be buried in a Local Authority cemetery, which will sometimes be divided into sections for different faiths and those of no faith. Local Authorities allow the purchase of the Exclusive Right of Burial in a grave, normally for a period of between 25 and 100 years.  Local Authorities fix their own schedule of fees. There is one for the purchase of the grave, called the Exclusive Right of Burial, and one for the interment. This is often trebled in the case of anyone who did not live in the borough. If a Common grave is required there is no fee for Exclusive Right of Burial. The Local Authority can open these graves at any time for burial of an unrelated person and normally no form of memorial can be erected.

Most are divided into sections in which different types and sizes of memorials are permitted:

Lawn Section- a headstone and base, or headstone only design is allowed. Kerb stone memorials are not permitted.
Traditional Section - full memorials or kerb set designs are permitted. This does not prevent a client having a smaller memorial such as a vase, tablet or headstone & base design. It allows a lot more flexibility than a lawn section and leads to a greater expression of memorial design.
Children's Section - memorials are often scaled down versions of larger designs.
Cremated Remains Section - these are becoming more widely available and give families a place in which to remember their loved ones - a focus for their grief.

Most Cemeteries have rules regarding the erection of memorials. Before any memorial work can proceed the Registered owner of the grave must usually sign an application form showing the material, dimensions, design and inscription desired. So long as these conform to the regulations we would be issued with a permit to carry out the work. We would organise the necessary paperwork on your behalf. There is normally a fee payable to the Authority for granting permission.

Burial in a Churchyard is open to all members of the parish who have been baptised, but in most urban areas there is no space left for new burials.  Although fees are charged, no grave deed is issued as ownership of the grave remains with the Church Authorities.

Although memorials are governed by strict guidelines laid down by the Diocese it is normally left to the Incumbent (Minister) of the Churchyard to decide what is acceptable and interpretation of these guidelines differs widely. For this reason we suggest that you check with us as to what will and will not be allowed before you make a decision.

Most Churchyards will allow 'Natural' stones - Slate, Portland, York, Nabresina, Hopton Wood and grey Granites with eggshell, rubbed, sawn or rustic finishes. They will usually not allow Marble, polished Granite, ceramic photo-plaques, heart-shaped or book shaped headstones and carved figures.

Some Churchyards have specific Cremated Remains plots and Lawn sections. Before proceeding with any memorial work we always write to the Minister for permission. There is normally a fee payable to the Church for this.

Privately Owned Cemeteries

Those run commercially normally operate in much the same way as those run by Local Authorities. The fees are generally higher but distinctions for non-residents seldom apply.  Burial grounds for specific religions or denominations usually occur only in larger urban areas.  Private burial grounds are normally found within large family owned country estates.

This majority of this article was created and is re-produced, with kind permission of Lodge Brothers Funeral Directors

A very useful resource is the D49 booklet, produced by the Department for Work and Pensions "What to do after a death in England and Wales".  This is a comprehensive guide to what you must do and the help you can get.  To obtain a copy visit: www.dwp.gov.uk. 

 If you are in Scotland, you will need leaflet D49S "What to do after a death in Scotland - social security supplement".   Visit: www.scotland.gov.uk or write to Scottish Executive Justice Department, Area 2WR, St. Andrew's House, Edinburgh, EH1 3DG.  Telephone number: 0131 244 2193