Practical Information

What to do when death occurs

At Home

Whether or not the death is expected, a doctor must, on every occasion, be contacted. Once a doctor has indicated it will be possible to issue the "cause of death" medical certificate then the deceased may be removed. Although these days, most families would require us to take the deceased to our Chapel of Rest soon after death, some families may prefer to stay with their loved one for a while. Whatever the wishes we will of course respect them and carry out the removal whenever it is preferred.

At a Nursing or Residential Home

Even though professional nursing staff may be in attendance at the home a qualified doctor would need to be contacted before the deceased can be removed.  On most occasions the staff would, on the family's behalf, arrange for the funeral director to remove the deceased to their Chapel of Rest.

At Hospital

When a death occurs in a hospital, the medical staff will take care of the immediate arrangements and have the deceased taken to the hospital mortuary. The family would then be requested to attend the hospital's bereavement office to collect the necessary forms and personal effects.

H M Coroners Involvement

When a death is unexpected and the cause of death unclear, or when the death is of a suspicious nature, an accident or industrial disease, the doctor certifying the death is legally bound to report these circumstances to the coroner. The coroner's involvement, in most cases, is a formality and although an examination would normally be made to ascertain the cause of death, this should not delay the funeral taking place.

In circumstances where the coroner feels the death is not due to natural causes or is a result of an industrial disease, a formal inquest may be held. If this is the case, you will be informed by the coroner and ourselves of the necessary procedures.

Registering the Death

Once you are in possession of the "cause of death" medical certificate issued by either the G.P., hospital doctor or the coroner, it must be taken preferably with the deceased's medical card and birth certificate to the registrar in the district in which the death occurred. Details of the relevant registrar usually appears on the envelope enclosing the death certificate, however, some now require an appointment to be made before attending. Full information on each local registrar is available at our offices. Who can Register a Death?

• Any relative of the deceased

• A person present at death

• The owner or person in charge of the home or nursing home where the death occurred

• The person arranging the funeral (not the Funeral Director)

The procedure for registering a death is a simple interview with the registrar who will require the following information:

• Date and place of birth and death

• Full name of the deceased (including maiden name, if appropriate)

• Home address of the deceased

• The Marital Status of the deceased

• The occupation of the deceased

• If a married woman, the husband's full name and occupation

If you are unsure of any of the above information the registrar will understand and still allow you to register the death.                

What Certificates are Required?

A GREEN form known as the certificate for burial or cremation which should be given to the funeral director (there is no fee). In cases where the coroner is involved and cremation is intended or an inquest is to be held, this certificate will not be issued. Instead a separate certificate will be given by the coroner, normally directly to the funeral director.A WHITE Social Security Certificate will be given on all occasions and should be sent to the local D.S.S. Office with any relevant pension books (again there is no fee).A BUFF colour copy of the Entry of Death Form (known as the death certificate).These may be obtained from the registrar upon payment of a nominal fee and are required as proof of the death for insurance purposes, probate, bank account etc. Additional copies of this certificate can always be obtained at a later date.

Arranging a Funeral

From the time you first contact us, either by telephone or personally at our offices, to the time when the arrangements are completed, we assure you of our confidentiality, personal care and genuine desire to look after your every wish to the very highest standard.

Although some families choose to contact a funeral director several days after death, we believe it is advisable to get in touch early to enable us to give you careful guidance and explain all the necessary procedures step by step, especially regarding registration. We offer a 24 hour personal telephone service for such information. Full arrangements may then be made at a convenient time at our offices or, if preferred, at your home.

It may be that particular wishes for a person's funeral have been expressed prior to death in a conversation, a will or in a prepaid arranged funeral plan. Alternatively you may be unclear as to what might be appropriate. We will explain and discuss with you all the options available. Whether your wishes are elaborate or simple, your choice will always be respected.

When making arrangements many practical details need to be discussed. Set out below are a number of these important points:

• Burial or Cremation

• Date, time and place of the funeral

• Type of service, religious or not

• Music and hymns to be sung

• Choice of coffin

• Limousines required

• Whether or not to visit the Chapel of Rest

• Floral tributes or donations

• Any special requests

• Death notices in local or national newspapers

• Printed service sheets

• Reception and refreshments following the services

A written confirmation and estimate of all the arrangements made for a funeral will be given to you as soon as possible. On the day of the funeral one of our experienced funeral directors would be in attendance throughout to ensure that all the arrangements were completed as requested.

On occasions we are called upon to look after funeral arrangements for babies or infant children. We fully realise the extreme sadness families experience during this time and therefore our fully trained staff are sensitive, caring and understanding throughout the arrangements. May we also assure you of our company's desire to keep charges to a minimum.