We would like to offer you our sincere condolences at this sad and difficult time. The death of a loved one or friend, can be one of the most distressing times in your life. We therefore hope you find this booklet helpful in explaining what happens next.
Please do not hesitate to contact the Bereavement Team if you need any help.
Tick box reminder
Please follow the relevant box to guide you through the next steps.
Following a death at Macclesfield District General Hospital
You may contact the Bereavement Office ahead of receiving a call from the Medical Examiner service.
Following a death at Congleton War Memorial Hospital
Contact the ward on which the patient died the following working day.
Following a death in the Community
Contact your local GP surgery the following working day.
You will receive a call from the Medical Examiner service
Start to make the funeral arrangements
Register the Death – Collect the Death Certificate
Collect:
Belongings and valuables
White Form for Department of Work and Pensions
Bereavement Service
The death of a close relative or friend may be hard to come to terms with. Grieving is normal and natural and affects people differently. As well as dealing with your grief you are faced with many things that need to be done. The Bereavement Team can provide support and assistance on certification and administration processes.
The Bereavement Team can help provide support in certification and administration at Macclesfield Hospital between 10am until 4pm, Monday to Friday on 01625 661107.
Arranging a Funeral
You should contact a Funeral Director of your choice. The Funeral Director will give you the help and advice in making all the arrangements for the funeral, whether burial or cremation. It may be helpful to find out if there is a Will as it may contain the deceased person’s own requests. You may know a reputable Funeral Director, or your family or friends may suggest one to you. If you wish to make your own funeral arrangements, without the assistance of a Funeral Director, please discuss with the Bereavement Centre staff who will be able to provide further information.
Personal Belongings and Valuables
The Bereavement Team will be able to advise you about arrangements to collect all personal belongings. Please contact the Ward your relative and friend died on, who can be accessed via switchboard on 01625 421000.
Visiting the Deceased
It is quite common for relatives to wish to see a loved one after they have passed. The Hospital has a dedicated viewing space where next of kin and extended family or friends if they wish, can pay last respects.
The chapel of rest at Macclesfield District General Hospital is open Monday to Friday from 8am – 4pm. You will need to make an appointment to view your loved one and the Bereavement Team can do this for you.
Your loved one could be paler in appearance, this is the natural process following death and each person is different. Your loved one will also feel very cold. If you have any questions about their appearance, please talk them over with the mortuary staff or funeral director.
There may be occasions where viewing your loved one cannot be possible; the mortuary staff or funeral directors will discuss this with you.
The mortuary is contactable on 01625 661847 and viewings are between the times of 9am – 4pm Monday to Friday. Any family queries can be directed to the on call technician outside of these hours by contacting Switchboard.
Donation of Tissue
Tissue donation is the gift of tissue to help others. Most people who have died in hospital can donate tissue. Unlike organs it may be possible to donate tissue up to 48 hours after a person has died.
The National Tissue referral centre on pager 0800 432 0559 will advise on referrals and provide advice regarding tissue donation. Only tissues for which you have given permission will be donated.
If your loved one or friend died in the community
What to do first
• When a death has occurred at home you need to call the GP surgery Monday to Friday 8am - 6.30pm. Out of hours call 111. If the death was unexpected, you should dial 999 and ask for the police and ambulance services immediately.
• After the death has been certified, you can contact the funeral directors of choice, who will advise you accordingly before taking your loved one to the chapel of rest.
• You may see your loved one or friend in the chapel of rest which your funeral director will arrange with you.
• You will be required to advise your funeral director if this will be a burial or cremation. Your chosen funeral director will liaise with you regarding arrangements.
• The Medical Certificate will be sent electronically from the GP surgery to the Registrars Office. It may be advisable to ring first to ensure the certificate has been issued.
Medical Examiner’s Office
The Medical Examiner’s Office will deal with the issuing of the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death. In certain circumstances a death will need to be referred to the Coroner.
The Medical Examiner’s Office will telephone the next of kin or nominated contact as soon as possible. Medical Examiners are senior consultants who give independent advice about what causes deaths.
Who are Medical Examiners and Medical Examiner Officers?
The purpose of the Medical Examiner system is to provide a means of appropriate scrutiny of all deaths not reported to the Coroner and a point of contact for bereaved families to raise concerns about the care provided prior to the death of a loved one.
This will usually be through a telephone call or sometimes a meeting. They can explain what medical terminology 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 who is responsible for completing the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death.
Why am I being asked if I have any concerns?
A discussion with a Medical Examiner or their officers provides you with an opportunity to have an open and honest conversation with an independent professional who was not involved in providing care to the patient. It is also an opportunity to ask questions and raise concerns.
What questions will I be asked?
The Medical Examiner or their officers will explain what is written on the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death and check if you have any questions or concerns.
What
will
happen if something is not right?
The Medical Examiner and their officers are here to listen to your questions and concerns, provide answers if possible and, if necessary, pass them on to someone who can investigate further.
Will funeral plans or release of the body take longer?
Medical Examiners make every effort to avoid any delays and work with families and carers of the person who died to meet the legal requirements for registering deaths. Medical Examiners and their staff will try to be flexible, for example where relatives need the release of the body quickly.
What can I do if I have questions or concerns about the Medical Examiner process?
If you are not satisfied with the Medical Examiner’s advice, we suggest you discuss this with the Medical Examiner’s office in the first instance. If you are still not satisfied you can contact the Regional Medical Examiner’s Officer.
How do I contact the Medical Examiner’s office?
Contact the Bereavement Team who will liaise with the Medical Examiner’s office on your behalf 01625 663324.
Address:
Medical Examiner’s Office
Silk House - Ground Floor
Macclesfield District General Hospital
Victoria Road
Macclesfield
SK10 3BL
Email: Medicalexaminers.office@stockport.nhs.uk
Opening hours: 10am - 4pm (Monday - Friday)
Registering the death
A death must be registered within five days at the Registrar’s Office covering the district where the death occurred. However, you can register outside the district and the registrar will give you details about this if required.
To register a death at the registrars an appointment is required and you will be required to bring the forms of identification with you. This could be the Birth Certificate, Death Certifcate, Passport, NHS Medical Card or Marriage Certificate.
The registrar will provide you with the Certificate of Registration of Death (Form BD8). This needs to be sent to the Department for Work and Pensions together with any benefit payment books. It may also be used for claiming such benefits as a widow’s pension. Form BD8 is provided free of charge.
Alternatively you can register at the Register Office which is located at: Town Hall Annexe Market Place
Macclesfield SK10 1EA
Telephone: 0300 123 5019
The opening hours are: Monday to Friday, 9am to 4.30pm
Who can register the death?
The person who registers a death should be any of the following:
• A relative of the deceased or someone who was present at the death.
• The person making the funeral arrangements.
In all cases the registrar will require the following information:
• Date and place of death.
• Full name of deceased and if known by any other name.
• Date and place of birth.
• Marital status of deceased, eg married, single, civil partnership etc.
• Home address of deceased.
• Last occupation (even if retired).
The registrar will provide you with:
1. Certificate of Burial or Cremation (the Green Form) – this will be required by the funeral director (unless the Coroner is involved).
2. Certified copy of Death Certificate – obtainable for a small fee. You will need one of these to obtain probate, pension claims, insurance policies, saving certificates and premium bonds, or to release funds held in a bank or building society. You may require more than one copy of the Death Certificate as organisations require an original.
3. Certificate of Registration of Death (Form BD8) This needs to be sent to the Department for Work and Pensions together with any benefit payment books. It may also be used for claiming such benefits as a widow’s pension. Form BD8 is provided free of charge. Department for Work and Pensions, PO Box 15, Chester CH70 8BG
Cases notified to the Coroner
There are occasions when a death will need, by law, to be reported to the Coroner. You will be advised if this is necessary. If a death is referred to the Coroner, it may take the Coroner up to seven working days (excluding weekends and bank holidays) to issue a decision.
If you wish to contact the Coroner directly, please telephone 01925 444216 or via email: coroners@cheshire.police.uk
This may delay the issuing of a Medical Certificate of Cause of Death and may, therefore, delay the registration of death.
In some circumstances the Coroner requests a post- mortem. When a post-mortem is requested by the Coroner this, by law, must take place. The consent of the next of kin is not required.
Once the Coroner takes responsibility for a death all further information will be provided by the Coroner’s staff.
A member of the Bereavement Team will be able to explain this to you if required.
When a death has been reported to the Coroner you may still contact a Funeral Director to begin the funeral arrangements.
Please remember that you will not be able to confirm funeral arrangements until the death has been registered and the Death Certificate has been issued as both the Doctor and Registrar can refer a death to the Coroner.
The funeral director
Funeral arrangements can be made at any time, although the date when a funeral can be held may be affected if the Coroner is involved.
The chosen funeral director will need the registration form (Green Form) which is issued by the registrar, to arrange either burial or cremation.
Your chosen funeral director will advise you on all matters concerning the funeral and will help you to make decisions regarding anything which you are unsure of, including any cost implications.
Financial support
If you receive income support, family credit and/or housing benefit, you may be entitled to help with funeral costs. To apply or ask for information, contact your local department www.gov.uk/after-a-death
Where relatives are seeking help with the financial costs of the funeral they should first contact the Department for Work and Pensions for confirmation before registering the death.
People to inform
‘Tell Us Once’
When someone dies, informing the official organisations such as local government agencies and departments can be a repetitive and difficult process. ‘Tell Us Once’ is an innovative cross government service that enables people to report changes in their circumstances to government just once. This service will be offered routinely to people registering a death by the Register Office.
Following registration the registrar will provide you with details of this service which you can then contact online or by telephone. Please ask the Register Office for details.
Tell Us Once will notify:-
• HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) – To deal with personal tax (you need to contact HMRC separately for business taxes e.g. VAT).
• Department for Work and Pensions – To cancel benefits e.g. income support.
• Passport Office – To cancel a British Passport.
• Driver and Vehicle licensing agency – To cancel a licence and remove the person as the keeper of up to 5 vehicles.
• The local council – To cancel housing benefit, council tax reduction, a blue badge, inform council housing services and remove the person from the electoral register.
• Veterans UK – To cancel armed forces compensation scheme payments.
“Tell Us Once” is a service available in Eastern Cheshire. When you register the death, the registrar will provide you with the phone number and a unique reference number to use the “Tell Us Once” service online or by phone.
To find out more information follow the link below.
In addition to the above there may be other organisations to contact, where Tell Us Once wouldn’t apply.
Please use the following as guidance to see if you have contacted everyone you need.
Service
Executors of the estate (Will)
Priest, Vicar, Minister or Faith Leader
Residential or nursing home
Family doctor
Any hospital your loved one was attending
Inland Revenue
Place of work (occupational pension)
Solicitor
Bank, giro, credit cards, building society
Insurance companies
Motor insurance
Electricity, gas, telephone, water companies
Social services (home helps, home care)
Royal Mail, newsagent and milk deliveries
Landlord, Housing Department
Schools, college or university
Careline (personal alarm service)
Cancel any appointments
Community Equipment Service
Social Media and Memorialised Accounts
Your relative or friend may have a Facebook or other social media account. When someone dies, it is possible to convert some of these accounts into a memorialised account. This allows you and other family members and friends to share memories. You can get more information about these accounts from social media websites.
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.
Your feelings and the grieving process
When you have been affected by the death of a loved one or friend the emotional and physical reactions can be intense and you may be surprised by the reactions that follow. These can be unfamiliar and out of character.
Some of the most common feelings are: shock and disbelief, loss, guilt, regret, injustice, envy, anger, loneliness, depression, relief, sleep deprivation, loss or increase of appetite, exhaustion, restlessness, anxiety, panic, loss of interest, tearfulness, irritability, inability to cope.
Whether your loved one or friend died in hospital or at home, don’t be afraid to also seek help from either your GP or contact one of the support agencies listed in this booklet.
Children and Bereavement
As adults we feel the need to protect our children from things that we might find difficult. It is easy to assume children will not understand death and bereavement, or that it will be too upsetting for them. However, we often underestimate a child’s ability to cope. Children, like adults, find it hard to cope if they are not told what is happening and can be more frightened by their own imagination.
Children should be told facts in a simple manner using appropriate words, such as dead, rather than lost or asleep. They should be given time to ask questions and offered lots of love and reassurance. It is helpful for adults to share their feelings with children, such as feelings of sadness. Remember children often like to draw pictures or write stories as part of their way of saying goodbye. If children are at school, it is important to tell the school about the bereavement.
Children, like adults, are individuals and will grieve in a variety of ways depending on their age and maturity. They may also need extra comfort and support. It is important to listen to their fears and anxieties at any stage.
Children may have a strong need to say their goodbyes, just as adults do. The funeral is an important last opportunity to do this. Whenever possible, children should be encouraged to make their own decision about attending the funeral. This decision may vary from child to child, even within the same family. It is important to be truthful with all explanations to children and to give simple explanations beforehand about the funeral.
Bereavement support
Chaplaincy Services Available to You
We have a team of chaplains based at Macclesfield Hospital who are available to attend the bedside of a loved one close to death or just after. Our chaplains are also here to support relatives of loved ones who have passed away here in the hospital. They offer pastoral support to all, whatever your world beliefs, and are a good listening ear at difficult times such as a bereavement.
St Luke’s Chapel & Multi-Faith Room
You may wish to find a quiet space to sit in whilst at the hospital. We have two spaces for quiet reflection, St Luke’s Chapel and a Multi-Faith Prayer Room. Both are situated close to Reception on the ground floor and both are well signposted.
There is a Prayer Tree in St Luke’s Chapel for you to put your thoughts and prayers if you wish. Resources to support you in your bereavement are provided outside St Luke’s Chapel for you to take away if you find them helpful.
Time to Remember Service of Light
Each Monday lunchtime a Chaplain will light candles for those who have passed away in the hospital in the previous week. The bereavement team will ask if you would like a candle lighting for your loved one. You are welcome to attend that service. It is only 10-15 mins and is suitable for all world beliefs, held in St Luke’s Chapel.
If after a few weeks you would like to talk to someone about your loss, we can offer one to one support, either by face to face or over the phone in a location of your choice.
If you would like to talk to someone about your bereavement please contact Macclesfield Bereavement Support Group, a volunteer agency offering free confidential support to those in grief.
Macclesfield Bereavement Support Service:
Tel: 01625 439 333
Answerphone operated Monday – Friday only, non-emergency service
An international movement, aimed at helping us understand more about death in order to make the most of life. Groups of people meet in a cafe or somewhere else you can drink tea, eat cake and discuss issues around death. Find further details and forthcoming events on the website: www.deathcafe.com
Comments, compliments or complaints
welcome any suggestions you have about the quality of our our services. Contact us: Freephone: 0800 1613997
Phone: 01625 661449
Textphone: 01625 663723 Customer Care, Reception, Macclesfield District General Hospital, Victoria Road, SK10 3BL
Comments, compliments or complaints
Comments, compliments or complaints
We welcome any suggestions you have about the quality of our care and our services. Contact us: Freephone: 0800 1613997
We welcome any suggestions you have about the quality of our care and our services. Contact us: Freephone: 0800 1613997
large print, audio, Braille version or translation, contact Communications and Engagement on 0800 195 4194.
Phone: 01625 661449
Phone: 01625 661449
Textphone: 01625 663723 Customer Care, Reception, Macclesfield District General Hospital, Victoria Road, SK10 3BL
Textphone: 01625 663723 Customer Care, Reception, Macclesfield District General Hospital, Victoria Road, SK10 3BL
For large print, audio, Braille version or translation, contact Communications and Engagement on 0800 195 4194
For large print, audio, Braille version or translation, contact Communications and Engagement on 0800 195 4194.
Cheshire NHS Trust operates a smoke-free policy (including e-cigarettes)
East Cheshire NHS Trust operates a smoke-free policy (including e-cigarettes)
East Cheshire NHS Trust operates a smoke-free policy (including e-cigarettes)
For advice on stopping smoking please contact the KICKSTART Stop Smoking service on 0800 085 8818.
For advice on stopping smoking please contact the KICKSTART Stop Smoking service on 0800 085 8818.
Cheshire NHS Trust
tolerate any form of discrimination, harassment, abuse and is ensuring that and the public fairly, with dignity
East Cheshire NHS Trust does not tolerate any form of discrimination, harassment, bullying or abuse and is committed to ensuring that patients, staff and the public are treated fairly, with dignity and respect.
East Cheshire NHS Trust does not tolerate any form of discrimination, harassment, bullying or abuse and is committed to ensuring that patients, staff and the public are treated fairly, with dignity and respect.
ents about how we can improve our services please inform a member ment or complete a comment card available throughout the hospital. District General Hospital, Victoria Rd, Macclesfield SK10 3BL
If you have any comments about how we can improve our services please inform a member of staff in the department or complete a comment card available throughout the hospital.
If you have any comments about how we can improve our services please inform a member of staff in the department or complete a comment card available throughout the hospital.
Macclesfield District General Hospital, Victoria Rd, Macclesfield SK10 3BL
Macclesfield District General Hospital, Victoria Rd, Macclesfield SK10 3BL
Disclaimer
East Cheshire NHS Trust does not guarantee nor endorse the advertisers contained herein and accepts no responsibility for the consequences of any actions taken on the basis of the advertisements.
Reference: Macclesfield District General Hospital and Community
Bereavement Booklet
Review Date: June 2026
Publication Date: June 2024 www.eastcheshire.nhs.uk
The Hospital would like to thank RNS Publications for publishing this information and the following pages contain some features from services o ering their help at this time.
Whilst the Hospital is grateful of their support it does not endorse or recommend any of the services that they provide.
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stopping mail
STOPPING JUNK MAIL
It is distressing to deal with a bereavement and unsolicited mail can be insensitive and destructive during a grieving process.
By scanning the below QR code on your phone or visiting www.stopmail.co.uk, we are able to securely share this information with mailing organisations and under the Data Protection Act the information will not be used for any other purpose.
Other benefits reduce the possibility of identity fraud, such as assumed identity and you will only have to supply the information once.
