If someone dies at home you need to call your GP who can organise a medical certificate confirming the person has died. When a person dies in hospital the doctor on duty there will issue the medical certificate. Your doctor will then talk to you about when to contact a Funeral Director.

You must register the death with your local registrar within five days. You will need to make an appointment for this and must have the medical certificate with you. The registrar will then give you a green form called The Registrar’s Certificate for Burial or Cremation (or green form) which you will need to pass on to your Funeral Director as soon as possible. Your Funeral Director needs this form of authorisation to collect the deceased from a hospital mortuary, but you are able to instruct and make arrangements with a Funeral Director of your choice before registering the death. 

In the event of an unusual or sudden death the Coroner’s Office will be informed and a post mortem may need to be carried out to establish cause of death. It is important to let your Funeral Director know if this is the case, as the funeral may need to be delayed.