Please accept our condolences at this painful and private time.
We are aware that this is a very difficult period and we hope that this booklet will help you in dealing with the necessary practical arrangements. Please ask any member of staff for guidance if any of the information you have been given is unclear.
What do I need to do next?
You can contact a funeral director immediately for help and guidance; however, no formal arrangements can be made until you register the death. (See heading, registering a death)
Funeral costs can be significant and it is therefore advisable to ask several funeral directors for estimates before you commit yourself. You can ask for a breakdown of costs which may help you decide what to have. Advice and guidance is available from the Hospital Support Services department or from local organisations such as the Citizens Advice Bureau.
What will happen if the death of my relative involves the Coroner?
In some circumstances it is not possible for the Hospital doctor to issue a Medical Certificate of Cause of Death. There are several reasons why this cannot be done but in general it is when a death is sudden, unexpected or due to an accident. The doctor will be able to tell you if the death has been referred to the Coroner. If this is the case there will be a delay in issuing the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death which may take several weeks.
The local Coroner’s Officers will be able to tell you about what happens and advise you about how and when you are able to instruct the funeral directors to proceed with funeral arrangements.
About Post Mortem Examination
The doctor who has written the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death may want to ask your permission for a post mortem examination in order to assist in the treatment of other patients in future. You can decline.
If the Coroner orders a post mortem examination this is a legal requirement and you will not be able to decline.
If you have any worries about the Coroner’s involvement or post mortem examination, it is very important that you discuss these at the time, either with the doctor or the Coroner’s Officer.
Gwent Coroner’s Office Telephone: 01633 414600
When should I register a death?
A death should be registered within 5 calendar days of the date of death in the district in which it occurred, unless a Coroner is investigating the circumstances leading to the death.
Where can a death be registered?
A death must be registered in the district in which the death occurred. If you would find it difficult to register in the district where the event occurred, the information for the registration may be given to any Registrar in England or Wales. You should contact the Registrar Office where the death occurred who can advise you about your options.
Who can register a death?
• A relative of the deceased
• Someone who was present at the death
• The occupier, e.g. the owner of a nursing home or the hospital administrator of the premises where the death occurred
• The person arranging the funeral
For information: Next of kin would be the deceased’s closest relative through blood/marriage or civil partnership.
Documents required at the death registration
It is advisable to have to hand some or all of the following documents when you register a death, your Registrar can discuss this with you in more detail:
• The deceased’s National Health Service Number (NHS) This can be obtained from a Medical Card
• The deceased’s birth certificate and marriage certificate (if you have them)
• The deceased’s National Insurance number(s) and their partner’s also (if applicable)
• The deceased’s passport, Driving Licence, Blue Badge or Bus Pass (if applicable)
• ID documents and proof of address for yourself (this helps the Registrar avoid mistakes in recording spellings of names and addresses)
• Details of any pensions or allowances paid from public funds to the deceased
You will also need to provide:
• The date and place of death
• The full name and surname of the deceased together with any other names they have ever used
• The place of birth of the deceased and their age (or date of birth)
• The maiden name (if the person was a married woman)
• The occupation of the deceased
• The name of the deceased’s spouse or civil partner
• The occupation of the spouse/civil partner
Tell Us Once
Once you have registered a death, you can use the Tell Us Once service to give relevant information to relevant government departments and council services on your behalf for example the DWP, DVLA, HMRC, Passport Office and Council Tax Department. This service is voluntary and free to use and will be offered during your appointment with the Registrar.
How much does it cost to register a death?
• There is no charge to register a death.
How much does it cost for a copy of the Death Certificate?
• Death Certificates are £11 each at the time of registration
What forms will I receive following the death registration?
The following documents will be given/sent out to you after the death has been officially registered in the district where the event occurred.
• A form for the Undertaker (the 9W green form) which gives the authorisation to make the funeral arrangements
• A form for Social Security (known as a BD8)
• Any death certificate(s) requested - £11 each
Please note: Documents are sent out via first class standard post and may take a few days to arrive.
Out of hours emergency for death registrations
Within certain religious and cultural beliefs it is customary for a burial to take place on the same day or within 24hrs of the Death. If you need to contact us out of normal office hours to arrange a Death Registration for an emergency faith burial, please call the Monmouthshire out of hours number 01873 735435.
Please note: In certain circumstances the death may need to be reported to the Coroner. This may mean that we are unable to issue the necessary paperwork required to allow the burial to take place within the required timeframe.
What if I make a mistake when completing a death registration?
When completing a death registration you must check information on the register page carefully. If you fail to notice an error on the entry, the fee to apply for a correction will be £75 or £90 depending on the type of amendment required. The Registrar can advise you further in the event of any problem.
Please note: This fee does not guarantee the correction can be made.
Who needs to be told about the death?
You will probably want to let the family, friends and neighbours know of the death right away. There are several other people who may also need to know.
You can use this list as a check list:
Funeral Director
Priest, Minister or Faith Leader or Funeral Celebrant
The Benefits Agency (pensions, benefit)
The Bank, Credit Cards, Building Society
Social Services (home helps, home care)
Schools, College or University attended (if applicable)
Place of work (occupational pension)
Executors of the Estate (Will)
Solicitor
Insurance Companies
Residential or Nursing Home
Landlord, Housing Association, Mortgage provider
Electricity, Gas, Telephone, Water Companies
Post Office (redirect mail)
DVLA Swansea
Careline
Cancel any appointments - delivery of papers etc
Pets - make necessary arrangements for care
If the deceased was living alone you will need to ensure that their home is secure and remove all signs that indicate no-one is there. You may wish to collect spare keys from other relatives, friends and neighbours.
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.
Wills and Probate
If you have any queries about the deceased person’s Will or regarding the absence of a Will you can contact your local Probate Registry.
What is Probate?
When a person dies somebody has to deal with their estate (the money, property and possessions left) by collecting in all the money, paying any debts and distributing what is left to those people entitled to it. In order to get authority to do this the designated person usually needs to obtain a legal document called a “Grant of Representation” from the Probate Registry. There are three types of Grant of Representation.
Probate - Issued to one or more executors named in the deceased’s Will. Note: Executors are people named in the Will to deal with the estate.
Letters of Administration (with Will) - Issued when there is a Will but there is no executor named or when the executors are unable or unwilling to apply for the grant.
Letters of Administration - Issued when the deceased has not made a Will, or any Will made is not valid.
If the deceased left a Will, Probate will generally need to be obtained. If there is no Will, Probate cannot be obtained and instead you will generally need to apply for Letters of Administration, before you can administer the Estate. In both cases, the processes involved are very similar and the Form PA1 can be used. This needs to be completed, and sent or taken to the Probate Registry. You can obtain this form from your local Probate Registry or download it from the website.
Collecting the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death and Personal Property
Useful information
• Weekends and Bank Holidays will delay the writing and issuing of the Death Certificate. Phone the ward or general office on the next working day.
• Ring the Hospital first, before you come and check everything is ready.
• If you are unsure about anything ask a member of staff for help.
• Get a receipt for the personal property you are collecting.
• Check the receipt carefully before you leave the Hospital.
• If anything appears to be mislaid, please tell a member of staff and ask for help
Information and contact details of Nevill Hall Hospital
NEVILL HALL HOSPITAL Tel: 01873-733011
Due to the size of the Hospital, Medical Certificates and patient’s property may not always be on the ward where the patient died, please check with the ward where the patient died before coming to the Hospital.
Please contact the Bereavement Support Office to arrange the collection of patient’s property and Medical Certificates if appropriate. The Bereavement Support Office will be able to provide advice and guidance.
Monmouthshire
Monmouthshire, County Council, Radyr, Usk NP15 1GA
01873 735435 (Registrar)
www.monmouthshire.gov.uk
Prioress Mill Cottages
Reference: Nevill Hall Hospital Bereavement Book
Review Date: March 2026
Publication Date: March 2024
THE REGISTER OFFICE FOR MONMOUTHSHIRE
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.
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.
