What Do I Do?

If death occurs at home

When someone dies at home there are many unfamiliar things that need to be done. You should choose and contact your Funeral Director as soon as possible, they can help you in the event of difficulty, with specially trained staff. You should also ring your nearest relative, or you may have a friend or neighbour who can help you attend to duties in the sick room.

Inform the doctor

As soon as possible you should inform your family doctor that a death has taken place. Your doctor will write out the Medical Certificate of Death (an official notice of the cause of death), either when he visits the house, or he may ask you to attend his surgery for this purpose. It is usually possible to obtain the doctor’s certificate during his surgery hours without waiting, providing you ask the doctor beforehand.

When death occurs in hospital

In this instance you must apply to the hospital for the Medical Certificate of Death and NOT the family doctor. You will need to register the death in the district in which the hospital is situated. The administration clerk at the hospital will advise you in this matter.