Following a Death in Hospital

If your loved one has passed away in Hospital, the attending Doctor or Nurse will confirm death. Your loved one will be taken to and cared for within the on-site mortuary facilities temporarily.

The Doctor who last tended to your loved one will be required to issue a Medical Certificate of Cause of Death. An independent medical examiner will co-sign this document if they are happy with the Cause of Death stated then send it directly to the Register Office in the jurisdiction where the death occurred.

You will then need to arrange an appointment with the Register Office to attend in person to register the death of your loved one. Once you have registered the death, we can proceed to apply for the necessary permits to collect your loved one from the Hospital Mortuary.

If the Doctor is unable to issue a Medical Certificate of Cause of Death, or if the medical examiner is not happy with the stated cause of death, the death will then be referred to the Coroner for further clarification.

Following a Death at Home, in a Care or Nursing Home

If your loved one has passed away at Home, in a Care Home or Nursing Home, the first thing you will need to do is contact someone who can legally verify death, such as a Doctor, Nurse or Paramedic. They will attend the Home to confirm death of your loved one.

Once Death has been legally confirmed you can instruct Slaters International to collect your loved one from the Home address. We are available 24 Hours a Day, 365 Days a Year, so no matter when a death occurs you can call us on 0208 560 4984. for our immediate assistance.
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A letter of confirmation of death will be sent to your loved ones GP who will in turn be required to issue a Medical Certificate of Cause of Death. An independent medical examiner will co-sign this document if they are happy with the Cause of Death stated then send it directly to the Register Office in the jurisdiction where the death occurred. You will then need to arrange an appointment with the Register Office to attend in person to register the death of your loved one.

If the Doctor is unable to issue a Medical Certificate of Cause of Death, or if the medical examiner is not happy with the stated cause of death, the death will then be referred to the Coroner for further clarification.

Following a Death in a Hospice

If your loved one has passed away in a Hospice, the on-site Nurse or Doctor will legally confirm the death. In most circumstances Hospice's don't have an on-site mortuary, so they will need to instruct Slaters International to collect your loved ones body. We are available 24 Hours a Day, 365 Days a Year, so no matter when a death occurs you can call us on 0208 560 4984. for our immediate assistance.
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A letter of confirmation of death will be sent to the Hospice Doctor or last Doctor that treated your loved one, who will in turn be required to issue a Medical Certificate of Cause of Death. An independent medical examiner will co-sign this document if they are happy with the Cause of Death stated then send it directly to the Register Office in the jurisdiction where the death occurred. You will then need to arrange an appointment with the Register Office to attend in person to register the death of your loved one.

If the Doctor is unable to issue a Medical Certificate of Cause of Death, or if the medical examiner is not happy with the stated cause of death, the death will then be referred to the Coroner for further clarification.

Following a Sudden and Unexpected Death

If your loved one has passed away suddenly and / or unexpectedly, you must first contact emergency services who will in most circumstances send Police and Ambulance to the scene. The Police will ensure there are no suspicious circumstances, and the Ambulance Service Paramedics will legally confirm death.

Due to the nature of the death being sudden and / or unexpected, in most circumstances the Police will call the local Coroner to arrange collection of your loved ones body and transportation to the local public mortuary. The Coroner will then be required to investigate the cause of the death.

Call us anytime on 0208 560 4984 for further advice following a sudden or unexpected death.

Involvement of H.M. Coroner

When it is not possible for a Doctor to issue a Medical Certificate of Cause of Death, or following a sudden and / or unexpected death, the Coroner in the jurisdiction where the death occurred will be informed.

The Coroner's job is to ascertain the cause of death. To do this, they will discuss details of the case with any associated medical professionals, family and friends who were witness to the death, along side all medical records available.

If the Coroner feels that the Doctor is able able to give an accurate cause of death based on the evidence they have, then they may simply refer the death back to the Doctor, who can proceed in issuing a Medical Certificate of Cause of Death, which would be co-signed by a Medical Examiner then sent to the local register office. You would then need to make an appointment at the Register Office to register the death.

If the Coroner is unable to find a cause of death based on their initial enquiries, they will then carry out a Post-Mortem Examination. This examination is most commonly carried out as a physical examination by a pathologist however in certain areas there is the option for a digital autopsy which is a CT scan, often removing the requirement for a physical examination of the body.

Once a Post-Mortem Examination has been completed, the pathologist will decide if they can offer a 'Cause of Death' based on the results. If so, they will send a notification to the Register Office so that the death can be registered with an official cause of death on the certificate.

If the examination was inconclusive, the Coroner will retain blood and tissue samples which will be sent for toxicology tests. The results of these tests often take 3-6 months to come back, in which case, the Coroner will issue an 'Interim Death Certificate' to enable a Funeral or Repatriation to be carried out. Once the results are returned to the Coroner, they will issue an official Cause of Death and send notification to the Register Office so that the death can be registered with the Official Cause of Death.

Registering a Death

To register a death you must first contact the Register Office in the juristiction where the death occured. Most Register Offices work on an appointment only basis. You must ensure before booking your appointment that the Registrar has received a copy of the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death issued by the Doctor, or alternatively received notification from the Coroner of Cause of Death.

During your appointment you will be asked for the following information:-

• The full name of the person who has died
  

• Their full home address
  

• Their date and place of birth
  

• Details of where and when the person died
  

• Their occupation, if applicable
  

• If they were receiving any benefits inc pensions
  

• Name, occupation and date of birth of their spouse or civil partner, if applicable
  

During the appointment you will be issued with a 'Copy of Entry' otherwise known as a Death Certificate. You can use this opportunity to purchase more copies - £12.50 per copy. You will also be issued with a 'Disposal Certificate' otherwise known as the Green Form which will enable a Burial or Cremation to take place in the UK.

Important note: if you wish for your loved one to be Repatriated out of the UK, ensure you inform the registrar so they do not issue the 'Disposal Certificate' as this is not required. An Out of England Certificate will be issued by the Coroner separately to enable the body to leave the UK.

Arranging a Funeral or Repatriation

There is no right or wrong time to begin making the arrangements for your loved ones Funeral or Repatriation. No matter how early on in the process, call Slaters anytime on 0208 560 4984 for our immediate attention and support.