The death of someone close to you is possibly one of the most distressing events that can happen. At the moment you may feel overwhelmed by the prospect of finding yourself responsible for making the necessary arrangements.
The content of this booklet attempts to help with some of the practical issues you or your family may have to deal with at this time.
The hospital staff offer you their condolences and are ready to help in any way they can. If you wish to talk to someone, do not hesitate to contact either:
Bereavement Office
What to do first
After someone dies there are a number of things which must be done.
The following information may help you with the things that must be done within the first few days and the order in which to do them.
Please contact the Bereavement Office before you come to the hospital, their telephone number is 01372 735273 - the office is open from 10am – 3pm Monday to Friday. It does not open on public holidays.
The Bereavement Officer will electronically send a copy of the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death to Surrey Register Office. You will be advised to contact the Register Office to book an appointment to register the death in person. You will be able to purchase copies of the death certificate at this appointment.
While the hospital will make every effort to provide the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death as quickly as possible please note that this may sometimes take a number of days.
If you wish to see your loved one in the hospital chapel of rest, please contact the Bereavement Office who will be able to advise if this is possible.
It is not advisable to book funeral dates until you have been advised that the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death has been issued by the hospital.
Patient’s property
Please ask ward staff about any property or valuable items.
At the hospital
The Bereavement Office is located on the ground floor of Headley Wing (Block A).
Please do not come to the hospital until we have spoken with you by telephone to advise you when the necessary paperwork will be completed and what to do next.
Lavender flowers are said to represent purity, silence, devotion, serenity, grace and calmness. The fragrance is often used in perfumery and medicine and our local area has a history of Lavender picking.
Who are Medical Examiners and Medical Examiner Officers?
Since 2019, some senior NHS doctors have chosen to receive specialist training and to spend some of their time working as Medical Examiners. Alongside other specially trained staff, their job is to give independent advice about what caused deaths (except for deaths which have to be reviewed by a Coroner).
You may be contacted by a Medical Examiner or Medical Examiner Officer. The Medical Examiner service offer families and carers of the person who has died an opportunity to raise questions or concerns about the causes of death, or about the care the person received before their death. This will usually be through a telephone call. They can explain what medical language means, and make it easier to understand. Medical Examiners also look at the relevant medical records, and discuss the causes of death with the doctor filling in the official form (its official name is the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death).
You can be confident Medical Examiners and their staff will provide an independent view, as they will only work on deaths of people where they or their staff have not provided care for the patient.
Why am I being asked if I have any concerns?
A discussion with a Medical Examiner or Medical Examiner Officer provides you with an opportunity to have an open and honest conversation with someone who was not involved in providing care to the person who died, and anything about the care that may be worrying or of concern. It could be as simple as helping you to understand more about the treatment and causes of death or to understand the medical language used, or there may be something about the care which did not feel right or ideal. This is an opportunity to ask questions and raise concerns.
The Medical Examiner will provide an independent view of causes of death and the care provided. Medical Examiners and their staff will discuss your thoughts, questions and concerns, and if they find issues with care that need further investigation, Medical Examiners will refer these to someone who can do this. As well as answering your questions, this can help the NHS provide better care for other patients and carers in future, for example by uncovering ways in which patient and family care could be improved.
Coroners
Under certain circumstances, for example if the death was sudden or unexpected or the cause of death has not been determined, a doctor will not be able to issue a Medical Certificate of Cause of Death. In such cases, the doctor must legally inform the Coroner. When the Coroner starts an investigation into a death, the Coroner (not the Medical Examiner) investigates the death independently, though the Medical Examiner may still provide expert medical advice to the Coroner. Some deaths must be notified to the Coroner – you can read about this on the internet (www.gov.uk/government/ publications/notification-of-deaths-regulations-2019-guidance). You can also get the guidance in other formats by emailing the Ministry of Justice at coroners@justice.gov.uk (this is the part of the government responsible for the guidance).
The involvement of the Coroner may cause some delay especially if a post mortem examination is required. If a death has been reported to a Coroner, you can still contact your chosen funeral director. The Surrey Coroner Office telephone number is 01483 404530.
Organ and tissue donation
Every year the lives of many people are saved with the help of donated organs. However, you may not realise that donated tissue such as eyes, skin, bone and heart valves can also save or dramatically improve the quality of life for others. Many people can be considered as donors and tissue can be donated up to 24-48 hours after death, meaning it would not delay funeral arrangements.
People may have discussed donation with family or friends during their lifetime and they may already have registered as a donor, or carried an organ donor card. However, it is possible for a family member to consent on behalf of the deceased, even if they were not previously registered as a donor.
We recognise that a decision such as this is personal, and there is absolutely no pressure or need to discuss the issues if you do not wish to do so. However, if you would like more information to consider donation, please speak to a member of staff who will contact the donation specialist nurse on your behalf.
From spring 2020, all adults in England will be considered to have agreed to be an organ donor when they die unless they have recorded a decision not to donate or are in one of the excluded groups.
Body Donation
Some people have previously made arrangements for their body to be used for medical research by one of the London anatomy organisations after their death. If this is the case you should contact the relevant organisation and also inform the Hospital Bereavement Office.
Registration
To register a death you need to make an appointment (ideally within five days) and this can be arranged by calling Surrey County Council on 0300 200 1002. They will be able to advise you as to which Register Office you will be given an appointment.
Unless the Coroner is involved (see page 4), a Medical Certificate of Cause of Death will be issued by the hospital and electronically sent to the Register Office.
Who can register a death?
The person to register the death is usually:-
• A relative of the deceased (whether or not they were present at death)
• A person present at the death
• A person who is going to make the funeral arrangements.
If you are unsure if you are qualified to register then contact Surrey County Council.
What will I need to know?
• When and where the death occurred
• The forenames and surname of the deceased (and maiden name if applicable)
• The date and place of birth and usual address
• The occupation (and if the deceased was married or in a civil partnership, the name and occupation of the spouse or partner)
• If the deceased was married or in a civil partnership, the date of birth of the surviving spouse or civil partner is also required.
• Whether the deceased was in receipt of a pension or allowance from public funds.
It is also helpful to take the birth certificate, marriage or civil partnership (if applicable) and the NHS medical card, if they are available to you.
The Death Certificate
The Registrar will give you:
• A Certificate for Burial or Cremation (also known as a ‘green form’). This will be electronically sent to your chosen funeral director
• A Certificate of Registration of Death (Form BD8), issued for social security reasons if the person is in receipt of a state pension
• Death certificates. There is fee payable for each certificate and the Registrar will be able to advise you about this
• Tell Us Once. Please be aware the ‘Tell Us Once’ service is available at Surrey Register Offices. For further details please talk with the Registrar at your appointment.
Stopping Junk Mail to the recently deceased
If someone you know has died, the amount of unwanted marketing post being sent to them can be greatly reduced which helps to stop painful daily reminders.
By registering with the free service www.stopmail.co.uk the names and addresses of the deceased are removed from mailing lists, stopping most advertising mail within as little as six weeks. If you cannot access the internet you can call 0808 168 9607, where you will be asked for very simple information that will take only a few minutes to complete. Alternatively, ask the Bereavement Team for a leaflet that can be returned in the post.
This free of charge service provided by the Bereavement Support Network will actively reduce the unwanted marketing mail but also can help reduce the likelihood of identity theft following the death of someone close. The information is not used for any other purpose and you only have to complete this once. Additionally to Stop Mail a comparable service can also be accessed from the Bereavement Register or Deceased Preference Service if you would prefer to use them.
