This book has been designed to guide you through the immediate practical steps you will need to take over the next few days.
Within the resource pack you will also receive our Help for the Bereaved: Bereavement Support which will explain some of the adjustments that you will have to face over the coming months, as well as sources of help and support available to you.
The staff of Tameside and Glossop Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust are committed to doing all that they can to help you at this time.
Our sincere condolences go out to you.
Steps you will need to take -
Step 1: Contact the Bereavement Centre. See page 1
Step 2: Register the death. See page 6
Step 3: Arrange the funeral. See page 16
If you would prefer to view this booklet online please scan this QR code with your smart phone.
The Bereavement Office
The Bereavement Centre is situated in the main entrance to the Mortuary near to the Pathology building.
When a death occurs in hospital
The Medical Certificate of Cause of Death (MCCD) is an important legal document, showing the cause of death. This has to be signed by a doctor who was responsible for the medical care of your relative or friend while they were in hospital. Doctors are not always able to complete the paperwork immediately, so it may be several days before the certificate is completed. In some cases, the death may need to be referred to the Coroner’s Office which could delay the process further (see page 12).
Once you have spoken with us and all the necessary paperwork has been completed, we will tell you what to do next.
The Bereavement Centre can be contacted on 0161 922 5192 after 11am on the next working day where the Bereavement Team will advise on the availability of the MCCD.
Medical Examiner
The Medical Examiner role has been introduced at the hospital to ensure the legal documentation is completed as soon as possible, if there are no indicators for them to refer to HM Coroner.
Medical Examiners are independent senior doctors who work alongside the bereavement team, providing expert support and advice to doctors completing the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death (MCCD) for adults.
The Medical Examiner will review the medical notes to ensure the correct cause of death is identified. The Medical Examiner may contact a designated family member to help you understand the cause of death and provide you with an opportunity to raise any concerns during the final illness and to ask further questions if you wish to do so. Although they may not be able to answer your questions immediately the Medical Examiner will be able to advise you of additional sources of information and support.
Visiting the deceased patient
It may be possible to make an appointment to visit your relative or friend in the hospital. We have a dedicated visiting room especially for this purpose.
Visits can be arranged by calling the Mortuary Office directly on 0161 922 6059 or 0161 922 6520. Outside of working hours please ring switchboard on 0161 922 6000 and ask to be put through to the on call Mortuary Technician. Out of hours visits can be arranged in exceptional circumstances.
Alternatively, you may prefer to wait until the deceased patient is transferred to the funeral director.
In rare cases, for example, due to infection control or forensic evidence, viewings may be restricted.
The hospital does offer free car parking within the barrier controlled car parks on the hospital site for anyone visiting their relative or friend at the Mortuary. Please speak to the Mortuary staff who will be able to provide you with a parking permit.
Mortuary Opening Times
Monday - Friday (excluding Bank Holidays) 8am-4pm
Mortuary Office: 0161 922 6059
Hospital Switchboard: 0161 922 6000
A death in the Emergency Department
If the death has occurred in the Emergency Department, there is a private room for you and your family to use.
All deaths which occur in the Emergency Department will be reported to the Coroner. The Coroner’s Office will contact you to inform you if a post mortem examination is needed or advise if an MCCD can be issued either by the hospital or General Practitioner.
Identification
This is not usually required on a formal basis. However, should this situation arise, all information arrangements etc will be conducted by the Coroner’s Office, who will make contact accordingly.
Tissue donation
If at this difficult time you feel able to consider tissue donation. It may be helpful to know that heart valves and eyes (corneas) can only be donated up to 24 hours after a person has died. A family can consent on behalf of the patient and it is not necessary to have a Donor Card. Donations will not delay any funeral plans or alter the appearance of the deceased.
The decision to donate is of course very personal, so if you wish to discuss this further or need more information, please speak to a member of staff on the ward who can contact the Mortuary Staff for advice or contact the Tissue Donation Services on 0800 432 0559.
Registering the death
Once the death certificate has been completed by the hospital doctor, this certificate will then be emailed to the registrar’s office at Dukinfield Town Hall. The Registry Office will then make contact with you to arrange a convenient appointment for you to attend in person to register the death and collect the death certificate along with other associated documents which you will need to pass onto your funeral director.
The Registrar will usually contact you within a day or so, however depending on how busy they are this could be longer.
The Register Office for this area is:
Tameside Register Office, Dukinfield Town Hall King Street SK16 4LA
Buses to King Street: 41, 220, 238, 239, 339, 335, 345 & 330
It is advisable to check bus schedules prior to travel as these can be subject to change.
GENERAL HOSPITAL Fountain Street, Ashton-under-Lyne, Lancashire OL6 9RW
It is possible to make a declaration of someone’s death at any Register Office in England after obtaining the MCCD.
The information is forwarded to the Register Office in Tameside which will post
Who can register a death?
The people who are legally allowed to register the death are:
• A relative
• A person present at the death
• The occupier of the premises where the death occurred if he/she was aware of the death
• The person dealing with the funeral arrangements (but not the funeral director)
At the Register Office
You will have received an appointment via telephone from the Registrar Office with an appointment to attend to register the death.
The Registrar will ask you to provide the following information about the deceased:
• The date and place of death
• Full name and surname and maiden name if appropriate
• Date and place of birth
• Occupation. If the deceased was a married woman or a widow, the full name and occupation of her husband
• The usual address
• If the deceased was married, the date of birth of the surviving widow or widower
• Whether the deceased was receiving a pension or allowance from public funds
In addition, it is helpful but not essential to take:
• The deceased person’s medical card
• Any war pension information
• Birth and marriage or civil partnership certificates
• The passport of the deceased
This information should be given to the best of your ability. Your name will go on the Death Certificate as the informant.
The Death Certificate
This is a certified copy of the entry in the register of deaths. Each one costs at the time of printing £12.50, for which you will need to pay the registrar by card payment only. You will need to consider how many certificates you require as banks, building societies and insurance companies require certified copies (otherwise known as “originals”).
The Registrar will also give you a certificate for burial or cremation (known as the Green Form). This will be required by your funeral director.
If the deceased person was in receipt of a pension or benefits, you will be given a form to be completed and sent to the Department for Work and Pensions.
Tell Us Once and organisations you need to contact
You will need to report the death to various organisations and government departments. Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council runs a service called “Tell Us Once” which will help you to contact these departments. If you wish to use this service, inform the Registrar when you attend the Register Office and the options will be explained to you. You will be able to access this service by telephone or online once you have registered the death.
You can choose which of the following organisations you would like to notify.
Local Councils
Housing Benefit Office
Council Tax
Collection of payment for council services
Libraries
Electoral Services
Blue Badges
Adult Services
Children’s Services
Council Housing
Department for Work and Pensions
Pension, Disability and Carers’ Service
Jobcentre Plus
Overseas Health Team
Revenue and Customs
Child Benefit
Child Tax Credit and Working Tax Credit Personal Taxation
Identity and Passport Service
Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency
Ministry of Defence, Service Personnel and Veterans Agency
War Pensions Scheme
Coroner’s post mortem
If the Coroner decides a post mortem (Autopsy) is necessary, this will usually take place within a week of the death occurring. The Coroner does not require the consent of any other person for this to take place. Funeral directors should be advised about the post mortem and are usually happy to proceed with funeral arrangements. Following a post mortem there is no paperwork to collect from the hospital. You will be informed by the Coroner’s Office when they have sent the necessary paperwork to the Register Office, who will then contact you to attend in person to register the death.
Further information may be obtained from the Coroner’s Office: 0161 474 3993
Hospital post mortem
After the MCCD has been issued, the hospital doctors may occasionally ask your permission to perform a hospital post mortem. This is usually to find out more about the illness or disease that caused the death. A doctor will give you a full explanation of what may be involved in the hospital post mortem. You are then free to agree to or decline the request.
Personal belongings
All belongings are usually given to any relatives/friends present at the time of death, or who attend the ward shortly afterwards. Appropriate documentation is completed by the ward staff and signed for by the recipients of the belongings. This procedure also applies to any money or valuables.
The Bereavement Centre staff will advise the next of kin about the procedure for collecting small amounts of money or valuables which have been forwarded to the Hospital Finance Office for safe keeping. Identification will be required, ie. driving licence/ passport. For large amounts the procedure is more complicated, The Bereavement Centre staff will advise you accordingly.
What if close relatives live some distance away?
To avoid extensive and unnecessary journeys, arrangements to collect the Death Certificate and belongings can be made by speaking with the Staff in the Bereavement Office.
Tel: 0161 922 5192
Multi-faith and Chaplaincy Department
The Hospital Chaplaincy Department is available on a 24 hour, 7 day a week basis to all patients and relatives.
We are also here to support the bereaved at all times. This includes visits to the Hospital’s Chapel of Rest where the presence of one of our Chaplaincy Team may be of help at this often difficult time.
The team can be contacted on 0161 922 5333 or via the hospital switchboard on 0161 922 6000. For the on-call Chaplain please contact the hospital switchboard.
Sample letter
Here is a sample letter which may be useful when informing authorities or organisations that there has been a death.
Your contact details: (Name) (Address) (Postcode) (Date) (Phone number)
Address to whole you are writing: (Name) (Department) (Company) (Road) (Town/City) (Postcode)
Dear Sir/Madam,
I am writing to inform you of the death of (person’s name and date of birth).
Please find enclosed the relevant documentation/papers which need to be returned to you.
(Person’s name) died in (Hospital name) on (Date).
Should you require any further information please contact me at the above address.
Yours faithfully, (Your name)
Arranging a funeral
Before going ahead with any arrangements, it is advisable to check whether the deceased person left a Will and any instructions for the funeral. If you are not the next of kin (nearest relative) or executor, you should check with them that you have the authority to proceed.
Most funeral directors are members of one of two trade associations:
• National Association of Funeral Directors (NAFD)
• Society of Allied and Independent Funeral Directors (SAIF)
Member firms must provide you with a price list on request and cannot exceed any written estimate they give you without your permission.
Most people would probably require the funeral director to provide the following services as a minimum:
• make all necessary arrangements
• provide appropriate staff
• provide a suitable coffin
• transfer the deceased from the place of death to the funeral director
• care for the deceased prior to the funeral
• provide a hearse to the nearest cemetery or crematorium
• arrange for burial or cremation as appropriate
Embalming, viewing of the deceased, or providing a limousine for mourners are optional extras, discuss these fully with your funeral director and make sure you receive an itemised written quotation.
Funeral costs for the same services may vary considerably from one funeral director to another. It is advisable to get more than one quote to compare costs and services. Funeral directors should provide detailed price lists for you to take away.
Disbursements are fees paid to others, i.e. doctors (for cremation forms), a minister, newspaper announcements, flowers and crematorium. Ask the funeral director for a written quotation detailing all these fees.
In addition, it should be remembered:
• When you arrange a funeral, you are responsible for paying the bill;
• Funeral payments are recoverable from the deceased person’s estate and banks are obliged to release money to pay for funeral costs when requested
If you receive certain benefits from the Department for Work and Pensions you may be entitled to some assistance towards the funeral expenses of your relative. For further information, please contact the nearest Jobcentre Plus.
A bereavement payment or bereavement allowance may be made in certain circumstances if you are the partner or spouse of someone who died whilst employed. These are dependent upon National Insurance contributions and other conditions. Please contact Jobcentre Plus to find out more.
Funeral choices
It is advisable that you wait until after your Bereavement Services appointment before you begin to make funeral arrangements. Once you have registered the death at the Registrar, you will be given the burial or cremation order (green form). This should be taken to the funeral director of your choice.
As prices vary considerably it is in order to contact more than one funeral director for a written quote for their services. The funeral director will advise and help you arrange the funeral of your choice. It may be that the deceased has given instructions, either in a Will or to someone personally, as to their last wishes. The choice of burial or cremation may also depend on cost or whether there is a family grave. Should you wish to transport the body of the person who has died to another part of the country for the funeral, or to another country, they will arrange this.
You may wish to seek help/advice from your religious leader, minister or priest with regard to conducting the service or the funeral director can arrange this for you. Alternatively, a nonreligious service may be planned by family and friends.
Funerals can be expensive. If you are on income support, family credit or housing benefit, you may be able to get payment from the social fund to help pay for the funeral. Advice can be obtained from the Department of Social Security.
Services that may be required when organising a funeral
Will they visit you to take instructions and give advice on registration, funeral arrangements, bereavement benefits etc?
Complete the paperwork and documentation, make bookings, liaise with and pay external parties
Bring deceased person into care from place of death / mortuary - additional cost outside office hours
Provide care facilities for the deceased until funeral (cost per day)
Care & preparation of the body e.g. wash, dress in clothes provided, prepare and place in coffin
Host viewing in chapel of rest during office hours by appointment - outside office hours
Embalming
Hygienic treatment
Extra journey for deceased (e.g. take home before funeral)
Funeral director’s attendance on the day of the funeral
Attendance of 4 bearers on the day of the funeral
Hire of hearse
Hire of limousine
Additional cost to begin the funeral cortege from home
Additional cost for attendance at woodland or private land burial
Additional cost for attendance at funeral on Saturday / Sunday Coffins
If veneer (client specify oak, mahogany, elm, panelled / plain)
A child’s or young person’s teacher, employer or college if a close relative/friend has died
Anyone holding deceased’s money
Done
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 not only actively reduce 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.
Repatriation
If the funeral is taking place outside of England and Wales, an out of England Form needs to be issued by the Coroner.
Your funeral director will apply to the Coroner on your behalf and will collect the necessary documentation.
Reference: Tameside Hospital Resource Pack - A Practical Guide
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.
�\\ bereavement ,�port network
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.
