WHEN SOMEONE PASSES AWAY THE FOLLOWING MAY BE OF HELP. IF IN ANY DOUBT,
WE WILL BE HAPPY TO TALK YOU THROUGH THE WHOLE PROCEDURE OVER THE
TELEPHONE. (020 8427 4555).

IN PRIVATE HOMES;

When someone passes away in a private home, it can often be an expected death. They may have been ill for some time, and have been attended to by family, friends and medical professionals. As soon as possible following the death, you should inform the doctor. The doctor will then arrange to come to the house and see the deceased. If the visiting doctor is the GP of the deceased, they may issue the death certificate there and then. Alternatively, they may ask you to call into the surgery to collect this. If a locum doctor attends the house, they will only issue the formal notice, which allows the funeral directors the authority to remove the deceased person from the house to their chapel of rest. This formal notice should be taken to the GP of the deceased as soon as possible, who will then in turn issue the death certificate.

IN NURSING/RESIDENTIAL HOMES & HOSPITALS;

When someone passes away in a nursing home, residential home or a hospital, the family will be notified by the patients affairs officer, or the equivalent person for that authority. The death certificate will be issued from the same authority.

IN ALL CASES ABOVE;

The death certificate must be taken to the registrars for the district within which the death occurred. There, the "GREEN" certificate of registration will be issued. Often, an appointment will be necessary at the registrars. Although the "GREEN" certificate will be required by the funeral directors eventually, It is not essential to allow us to begin any funeral arrangements that you may wish to make.

CORONER CASES;

When someone passes away unexpectedly, or they have not been attended to within the preceding fourteen days by a doctor, the death will be reported to the coroner. The coroner will then make arrangements for the deceased person to be removed from the place of death to a public mortuary so that he or she may begin any investigations they decide are necessary. Often, the coroner will call upon one of the large national, or international funeral directors to perform this removal for them. If you have already selected your chosen funeral director, then you should make the coroner aware of this immediately.

Whomsoever the coroner calls upon to remove the deceased person to the public mortuary........

THERE IS NO OBLIGATION FOR YOU TO USE THE SERVICES OF THE REMOVING FUNERAL DIRECTORS TO PERFORM THE FUNERAL. THE CHOICE REMAINS YOURS ENTIRELY.

Coroners officers are usually in close contact with the family of the deceased throughout, and as the procedures usually only take a couple of days, will often tell the family to go ahead with the funeral arrangements. A death certificate will be made available from the coroner, via the registrars office within the area where the death occurred. The coroner will tell the family when they may go to the registrars to register the death. No "Green" is required in this case, for the purposes of cremation.

IN ALL CASES, IT IS ADVISABLE TO CONTACT YOUR FUNERAL DIRECTORS AT THE EARLIEST STAGE, SO THAT WE MAY BEGIN OUR SERVICE TO YOU IMMEDIATELY. OUR ADVICE AND GUIDANCE MAY BE OF HELP TO YOU THROUGH ALL THE STAGES OF THE ABOVE PROCEDURES.