Princess Royal Hospital Bromley R24

King’s College Hospital

NHS Foundation Trust - Bromley site

Princess Royal University Hospital

Information for Bereaved Relatives and Friends

Princess Royal University Hospital Bereavement Service

We would like to offer you, your family and friends our sympathy at this time. We realise the days and weeks to come may be difficult for you.

This booklet provides practical help and advice about what to do when someone dies.

Please do not hesitate to ask questions or raise any concerns. Our bereavement team will always be happy to help you and can be contacted on 01689 863584 / 863585 / 863188.

Practical Necessities What To Do First

There is no need to visit the bereavement office, please call one of the above numbers to speak to a member of the bereavement team who will explain the next steps as follows –

• Medical Certificate of Cause of Death (MCCD), is sent directly to the register office, this is needed to register the death.

• Register the Death

• Arrange the Funeral

The MCCD can sometimes take several days to complete. This is because doctors need to follow legal procedures to ensure the certificate accurately reflects the cause of death. They may also need to speak to other medical staff in the hospital or the coroner’s office. They will also speak to the Medical Examiner (ME) regarding cause of death.

THE MEDICAL EXAMINER

Medical examiners are senior medical doctors who are trained in the legal and clinical element of death certification processes. For more information please visit www.england.nhs.uk/establishingmedical-examiner-system-nhs/

The Medical Examiner team will review and scrutinise all deaths to provide an independent review as well as offer support to the Trust, clinical teams and liaise with the Coroner. On weekdays there will be a Medical Examiner and Medical Examiner Officer on site. They work closely with both the bereavement and clinical teams and will contact the nominated next of kin to discuss the causes of death noted on the death certificate (MCCD) and give bereaved families an opportunity to ask any questions, and to feedback any concerns or compliments they may wish to.

Once the MCCD has been completed the Medical Examiner’s Officer will call the NOK to discuss the cause of death and any concerns or issues.

The MCCD will then be scanned directly to the Register office with the NOK details. The Register office will call the NOK to arrange an appointment to register the death. The MCCD will not be available for collection from the bereavement office.

BEREAVEMENT OFFICE

If you have not collected personal belongings from the ward where your relative was cared for please call the bereavement team to arrange collection. The bereavement office is located in North Wing, Level 1, and can be contacted on 01689 863584 / 863585 / 863188. The office is open for appointments between 9.00am and 3.30pm Monday to Friday.

Please telephone prior to visiting.

CHAPLAINCY SERVICES

King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust - Bromley site provides extensive Chaplaincy services. A representative from the Chaplaincy will be available to you if you wish. They are part of the multi-disciplinary team offering care and support during and following a death.

If you wish to contact any of the Chaplaincy team once you have left the hospital site, please ring the switchboard on 01689 863000 who will then contact the on-call Chaplain.

We hold a number of events at which we remember patients who have died. The services include a mixture of non-religious and religious readings.

Our service to remember adults is held each year on the first Saturday in November. For babies and children, it is the first Saturday in December.

We also have a book of Remembrance, situated in the chaplaincy, which we can enter your relatives name in. Please contact the bereavement office for details.

HOW A DEATH IS REGISTERED

The death must be registered at the local office of Registration of Births, Marriages and Deaths in the district where the death occurred (usually within five days of the death).

The Register Office will contact you to arrange an appointment, and to explain what documents would be helpful to take.

If the death has been referred to the Coroner, the procedure is slightly different, we will advise you concerning this.

TELL US ONCE SERVICE

At the time of registration, you will be asked if you would like to use the Tell Us Once service, and will be given a unique reference number in order to do so. This enables you to tell most government organisations – such as the Passport Office, the DVLA, the local council and the Department for Work and Pensions – about the death, all in one go.

Go to www.gov.uk for more information.

WHEN YOU GO TO THE REGISTRAR

We advise customers of the following information:

To help ensure the accuracy of the information recorded it would be useful if you could bring supporting documentation with you eg:

• Birth and Marriage certificates

• Passport

• Driving Licence

• Utility bill

• If available the deceased’s NHS medical card

• National Insurance Number - for Tell Us Once Service

Documents related to the above would be useful but not essential.

The following information will be required:

• The person’s full name at time of death

• Any names previously used, including maiden surname

• The person’s date and place of birth (town and county if born in the UK and country if born abroad)

• Their last address

• Their occupation

• The full name, date of birth and occupation of a surviving spouse or civil partner

• Whether they were receiving a state pension or any other state benefit

AFTER REGISTRATION

After registration the Registrar will scan the Certificate for Burial or Cremation (known as the Green Form), directly to the funeral directors of your choice.

Death certificates cost £11.00 each. You may need several copies as proof of death for the will, any insurance claims and banks.

The Register Office does not accept cash payment for death certificates.

These will be posted to your home address.

REGISTERING A DEATH

By Prior Appointment Only Telephone 0300 3038667.

It is preferred that a relative of the deceased registers the death. The Register Office will contact you to make an appointment.

The Registration Office of Births, Deaths and Marriages is located on the first level of the Civic Centre.

You will need to register the death at: Bromley Registry Office Civic Centre Stockwell Close Bromley BR1 3UH

YOUR VISIT TO THE REGISTRY OFFICE

The Registrar will ask you a number of questions. In readiness for these, we recommend that you complete the answers to the following questions and take this list with you to the Registry Office.

What was the place of death?

What was the full name of the deceased person?

Was the deceased person a married woman?

If so, what was her maiden name? What was the full name and occupation of her husband?

What was the date of birth of the deceased person?

What was the place of birth of the deceased person?

What was the occupation of the deceased person?

What was the usual address of the deceased person?

Was the deceased person receiving a pension allowance from public funds?

If the deceased person was married, what is the date of birth of the surviving partner?

Do you have the Medical Card or know the NHS number of the deceased person?

If so, take it with you to the Registry Office.

Have you any forms from the Coroner? If so, take them with you to the Registry Office.

THE CORONER

The Coroner is a Doctor or a Lawyer who is responsible for investigating all sudden deaths, also deaths where the medical cause is unknown and if the death is unnatural (which would require investigation by the Police). To help the Coroner establish if a post mortem examination is necessary, there are formalities which need completing.

If the medical team does not know the cause of death, they will send a referral to the Coroners.

This will result in the coroners deciding on a Post Mortem or the doctor can issue the MCCD.

The bereavement office will inform you of the outcome.

The Coroner’s Office is located at:

South London Coroners Court

2nd Floor

Davis House

Robert Street

Croydon

CR0 1QQ

0208 313 1883

admin.coroner@croydon.gov.uk

VISITING ARRANGEMENTS

If you, or other members of your family were not able to be with your relative at the time of death, or would like to see them again, then facilities are available at the hospital. Viewings are by appointment only and must be pre booked with the mortuary. To book an appointment please phone the mortuary on 01689 863586 within the hours of 12:00pm - 3:00pm Monday to Friday.

The mortuary staff will advise as to the available appointments. Normally viewings will be scheduled within the above hours.

ARRANGING THE FUNERAL

It is important to choose a funeral director who you feel comfortable with and who you are confident will arrange the funeral according to your wishes and those of the person who has died.

You may want to ask questions such as:

• Can I arrange a visit at the funeral parlour?

• What will the funeral cost?

• Costs for the same services can vary a lot from one funeral director to another, so you may wish to get more than one quote.

HELP WITH COSTS

If you think you might have problems with paying for the funeral and you receive certain state benefits, you may be able to get help from the Social Fund.

To make a claim for funeral costs – a Funeral Expenses Payment –you need to fill in form SF200 within six months of the funeral. Please contact Bereavement Service helpline on 0800 169 0140 or download a copy from www.gov.uk and send it to the address given on the form. You can also take it to your local Jobcentre Plus.

FUNERAL DIRECTORS

Contact the funeral director you have decided to use as soon as you wish to discuss arrangements. You do not need to wait until you have received the death certificate.

The person who has died cannot be collected from the hospital until the ‘green form’ (Certificate for Burial or Cremation) has been issued or the release form has been issued by the Coroner.

If you decide to make your own arrangements rather than using a funeral director, please contact the hospital mortuary to discuss collection.

REPATRIATION

If the funeral is taking place outside England and Wales please inform the Bereavement Office as soon as possible.

The Bereavement Office will issue a ‘Freedom of Infection Form’.

Your funeral director will contact the Coroner who will issue an ‘Out Of England’ Form.

You will need both these forms to make arrangements.

PEOPLE TO INFORM

There are various people, companies and authorities that need to be informed of the death. Remember, some may need a copy of the Death Certificate. Others may need a letter of explanation. Here are a few you may need to consider informing: Done

Solicitor Bank Building Society

Inland Revenue

Residential/Nursing Home

Landlord/Housing Association/Mortgage Provider

Council Tax Office

Electricity

Gas

Telephone

Water Company

Post Office (redirect mail)

DVLA Swansea

Careline

Social Security Office

Motor Insurance

Hospital appointments

Newsagent

Milk delivery

Pets (to make necessary arrangements)

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.org.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.

USEFUL ADDRESSES AND TELEPHONE NUMBERS

Bereavement Support Services

The Bromley Bereavement Service

Offers a free telephone and face-to-face support service for both adults and children within the London Borough of Bromley or registered with a Bromley GP.

Tel: 020 8768 4591

Helpline: 020 8768 4595

Website: www.bromleybereavementservice.org.uk

Cruse Bereavement Care - Bexley and Bromley

Offers a bereavement service to both adults and children, including one-to-one, telephone and group support.

Tel: 0208 304 5245

Email: bexleyandbromley@cruse.org.uk

National Helpline can be contacted on 0808 808 1677 for support or to find details of your local branch.

St Christopher’s Hospice

Provides a bereavement support services to anyone whose relative or friend was cared for by St Christopher’s.

They also provide the Candle Child Bereavement Service for children across South East London and Bereavement Help Point services offering information and guidance on bereavement services in Bromley, Orpington, Croydon, Lewisham and Crystal Palace.

Tel: 020 8768 4500

Website: www.stchristophers.org.uk

Living On

Orpington based support service for bereaved children and their families.

Tel: 07808 527 677

Email: admin@livingon.org.uk

Winstons Wish

National charity for bereaved children and their families. They also produce a range of publications and activity books.

Tel: 08088 020 021

Website: www.winstonswish.org

Compassionate Friends

Provide support groups in Bromley and nationally to bereaved parents and their families.

Tel: 0345 123 2304

Website: www.tcf.org.uk

Child Bereavement UK

National service offering information and support to families when a child dies, is dying or when a child is bereaved.

Tel: 0800 02 888 40

SANDS - Stillborn and Neonatal Death Charity

Helpline Tel: 0808 164 3332

Website: www.sands.org.uk

Child Death Helpline

Tel: 0800 282 986

Road Peace

A national organisation supporting those bereaved through road traffic accidents.

Tel: 0800 160 1069

Other Useful Contacts

Samaritans

Helpline and email support provided 24 hours a day Tel: 116 123

Email: jo@samaritans.org

Appointments at the Bromley and Orpington branch can be made by calling 0330 094 5717

Age UK

Offers advice and support to older people, including help with financial and legal issues and support with health, care and wellbeing.

Bromley and Greewich Tel: 020 8315 1850

National Helpline and information about other branches: 0800 678 1602

Citizen’s Advice

www.citizensadvice.org.uk

Bromley service call via Bromley Well: 0300 330 9039

Bromley Well

Bromley based service supporting people with health, wellbeing and independence.

Tel: 0808 278 7898

Email: spa@bromleywell.org.uk

Website: www.bromleywell.org.uk

HELPFUL READING

There are many books available from your local library which have been written to give you practical and emotional help.

Here are just a few:

“The Grief Observed”

C S Lewis

Publisher: Faber and Faber

“Beyond Grief”

Carol Studacher

Publisher: Souvenir Press

“Grief and Bereavement”

Relf, Couldrick and Barrie

”Grief and BereavementUnderstanding Children”

Couldrick

Leaflets published by and available from:

Sir Michael Sobell House

Churchill Hospital Oxford OX3 7LJ

“How to Obtain Probate without a Solicitor”

Booklet Ref: PA2

Publisher: HMSO

“Living with Loss”

Liz McNeill Taylor

Publisher: Fontana

“New Natural Death Handbook” (May 1997)

Editor: Nicolas Albery

Publisher: Rider

“Survival Guide for Widows”

June Hemer and Ann Stanyer

Publisher: Age Concern England

“What to do after a Death”

A DSS guide (ref: DWP 1027) available from The Hospital, or local Dept, of Social Security.

“What to do when someone dies”

Publisher:

Consumers Association Which? Books

“Wills and Probate”

Publisher:

Consumers Association Which? Books

Ref: Princess Royal University Hospital Bereavement Book

Review Date: March 2026

Publication Date: March 2024

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.

This publication has been jointly developed between ourselves and the hospital. We hope that it has been or will be of help at this time and we welcome any comments or suggestions that you may have.

Please contact us either by phone, email or by post. 01253

We create every funeral individually, just for you.

• 24-hour service

• Bereavement advice

• Transparent pricing

• Home visits

• Private chapels of rest

• Floral tributes

• Memorial masonry

• Prepaid funeral plans

Doves Funeral Directors are here to support and guide you. Since 1985, families in Kent have asked us to arrange their funerals because of our personal, friendly service.

020 8108 1821

38 Homesdale Road, BR2 9LD Bromley

Call us for immediate support, advice or a home visit. We are here to help 24 hours a day. www.dovesfunerals.co.uk