What to do When Someone Passes
What to Do When Someone Dies
When someone dies, it can be difficult to know what needs to happen next. Our local funeral team is available to provide calm, clear guidance and practical support.
Our telephone support line is available 24 hours a day when someone has died or immediate funeral assistance is required.
What should you do straight away?
The correct first step depends on whether the death was expected and where it happened.
An expected death at home
When someone has been receiving end-of-life or palliative care, their death may have been expected. There is no need to rush. You may take some time with your loved one before making the necessary calls.
- Contact the GP, community nursing team or out-of-hours clinical service involved in their care.
- A qualified professional will attend or arrange for the death to be verified.
- Once the death has been verified, contact our funeral team and we will arrange to bring your loved one into our care.
A sudden or unexpected death
If the death was not expected, or you are uncertain whether the person has died, you should treat the situation as an emergency.
- Call 999 immediately and explain what has happened.
- Follow all instructions given by the emergency call handler.
- The police and ambulance service may attend and the death may be referred to the Coroner.
- Do not arrange for the person to be moved until the emergency services or Coroner have authorised it.
Guidance for different circumstances
The hospital, care provider or medical professionals involved will usually explain the immediate procedure. You may contact us at any point for funeral guidance.
In Hospital
The hospital bereavement or patient affairs team will guide you through the hospital procedure and explain when the medical paperwork is being prepared.
Your loved one will normally remain in the hospital mortuary until the hospital is able to release them into the care of your chosen funeral director.
You can contact us before the paperwork is complete. We can begin discussing the arrangements and liaise with the hospital on your behalf.
In a Care Home
Care home staff will contact the appropriate doctor, nurse or out-of-hours service so that the death can be verified.
They will normally ask the family which funeral director they would like to appoint. You can ask the care home to contact Staffordshire Direct Cremation directly.
Once verification has taken place, we can arrange to bring your loved one into our care.
In a Hospice
Hospice staff will verify the death or arrange for an appropriate medical professional to do so.
The hospice team will guide your family through their local procedure and will contact your chosen funeral director once the necessary authority is in place.
Our team can liaise directly with the hospice and make the transfer arrangements.
You can call us before the death has been registered
You do not need to wait for every document to be completed before speaking with a funeral director. Contact us as soon as you feel ready and we will explain what can happen immediately and what must wait for the medical or legal paperwork.
We will liaise with hospitals, care homes, hospices, medical professionals and crematoria as required.
Once the appropriate verification or authority has been given, we will arrange the transfer with dignity and respect.
We will explain which documents are dealt with by the doctor, medical examiner, registrar and Coroner.
We will explain the Direct Cremation, Essential Farewell and Traditional Farewell packages.
Your arrangements will be managed by our own local funeral team from the first call onwards.
Registering the death
For a death that is not being investigated by the Coroner, the cause of death is checked through the medical examiner process before the family is asked to register.
Medical Certification
The attending doctor prepares the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death, known as the MCCD.
Medical Examiner Review
An independent medical examiner checks the proposed cause of death and may contact the family.
Register Office
The medical examiner’s office confirms when you are able to make an appointment to register the death.
Funeral Authority
The registrar issues the certificate required before the cremation or burial can take place.
When a death is referred to the Coroner
A death may be reported to the Coroner when it was sudden, unexpected, unnatural, caused by an accident, or when the medical cause of death is uncertain.
A referral does not necessarily mean that anything suspicious has happened. The Coroner must establish who died and how, when and where the death occurred.
The Coroner’s Officer will normally explain what happens next. Depending on the circumstances, the Coroner may authorise the doctor to issue the medical certificate, arrange a post-mortem examination or open an inquest.
You may still contact us and begin discussing funeral arrangements, although the funeral date will depend on when the Coroner releases your loved one and issues the necessary authority.
The death may be referred if:
- The cause of death is unknown.
- The death was sudden or unexpected.
- The death may have been violent or unnatural.
- The person died following an accident, injury or operation.
- The person died in custody or state detention.
- The attending doctor is unable to complete the medical certificate.
Information you may be asked to provide
The register office will explain exactly what is required when you book the appointment. Having the following information available can make the process easier.
Details about the person who died
- Their full name and any previous names.
- Date and place of birth.
- Date and place of death.
- Their last home address.
- Their occupation, or former occupation if retired.
- Their marital or civil partnership status.
- Details of a spouse or civil partner where required.
Documents that may be helpful
- Birth certificate.
- Marriage or civil partnership certificate.
- Passport or driving licence.
- NHS medical card or NHS number.
- National Insurance number.
- Any funeral plan documents or written funeral wishes.
Who else needs to be informed?
The registrar can explain the Tell Us Once service, which allows several government departments to be notified together.
Tell Us Once
Tell Us Once is a free government service which can notify a number of central and local government organisations about the death.
- Department for Work and Pensions.
- HM Revenue and Customs.
- Passport Office.
- Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency.
- The person’s local council.
Other organisations
You will also need to contact private organisations which are not covered by Tell Us Once.
- Banks, building societies and credit providers.
- Employers and private pension providers.
- Insurance companies.
- Utility, telephone and internet providers.
- Landlords, mortgage companies and housing associations.
- Solicitors, accountants and investment providers.
Questions families often ask
Our team will explain the procedure for your particular circumstances. These answers provide general guidance.
How soon should I call a funeral director?
You may contact us as soon as you feel ready. You do not need to wait for the death to be registered before speaking with us or beginning to discuss the funeral arrangements.
If the person died at home, we can normally bring them into our care once the death has been verified and any necessary medical or Coroner’s authority is in place.
Who verifies a death at home?
An expected death may be verified by an appropriately qualified doctor, registered nurse, paramedic or another authorised healthcare professional, depending on the local arrangements and the care plan in place.
Do I have to register the death before arranging the funeral?
No. You can begin making funeral arrangements before registration. However, the cremation or burial cannot take place until the required medical and legal documents have been issued.
What is the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death?
The Medical Certificate of Cause of Death, often called the MCCD, is completed by an attending medical practitioner for a death which is not being certified by the Coroner.
The proposed cause is checked through the medical examiner process before the registrar is able to complete the registration.
What is the green form?
After registration, the registrar issues the certificate for burial or cremation, traditionally known as the green form. It must be provided to the funeral director, crematorium or burial authority before the funeral can take place.
What happens if the Coroner is involved?
The Coroner’s Officer will explain the investigation and any examination required. Registration and funeral paperwork are handled differently depending on the Coroner’s decision.
You may still contact our team and begin discussing the funeral while waiting for the Coroner’s authority.
What if the person dies outside Staffordshire?
Please contact us with the location and circumstances. We will explain whether we can make the transfer directly or coordinate with another funeral director or transport provider.
Speak with our local funeral team
You do not need to know what to do before calling. We will listen, explain the immediate steps and provide calm, practical support.