What to do first

What to do first

We hope that ward staff will have answered any questions you may have. If you have further questions please contact the ward or relevant Bereavement Office.

You may feel that it would help to talk to a Chaplain or some other person who can give spiritual or personal support. The ward staff will be pleased to arrange this.

Ward staff and the Bereavement Office are there to advise you about the documents you will require. The Medical Certificate of the Cause of Death will be issued via the Bereavement Office. The doctor completing the certificate has to have seen the patient in the previous 24 hours.

You will be informed by the Bereavement Office when the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death has been completed. Sometimes certificates may take a number of days to complete. It is understandable that you may be feeling worried at this time, so you are more than welcome to contact the Bereavement Support Officers directly for information and help.

It would be useful at this time, if you are aware of the Funeral Director you have chosen to inform Bereavement Office staff and whether you have chosen burial or cremation. If the deceased is to be cremated, the relevant forms can then be completed by two doctors.

Occasionally there may be a delay if the doctor concerned is not available.

You will need to contact a Funeral Director so that the deceased can be removed from the hospital and the funeral arrangements made. Details of local Funeral Directors are given in this booklet and Yellow Pages. You do not have to wait to have the Medical Certificate of the Cause of Death before you contact the Funeral Director.

In certain circumstances the doctor may have to notify the Coroners Office. More details of the work of the Coroners Office are given in this booklet. Even if the death is referred to the Coroner you can still notify the Funeral Director.