When a person passes away, it can be a stressful time for those left behind. There are three things that must be done in the first few days:
- A medical certificate must be obtained from the doctor (this is necessary to register the death).
- The death must be registered, usually within 5 days. You will then receive the necessary documents for the funeral to take place.
- The funeral arrangements can then be made.
Medical Certificate of Cause of Death (MCCD)
If the death is expected, your GP or a hospital doctor involved in their care should hopefully be able to complete a death certificate.
Occasionally, however, this is not possible and it has been reported to the coroner who must give their permission before a death can be registered. This can take some time.
This is a legal requirement and not the fault of your GP or anyone else. Please be patient and rest assured that we are doing everything we can to help.
Registering the death
You can register the death if you are a relative, a witness to the death, a hospital administrator or the person making the arrangements with the funeral directors.
You can use the ‘Register a Death’ page on the gov.uk website that will guide you through the process.
Arranging the funeral
The funeral can usually only take place after the death is registered. Most people use a funeral director, though you can arrange a funeral yourself.
Funeral directors
Choose a funeral director who’s a member of one of the following:
- National Association of Funeral Directors
- National Federation of Funeral Directors
- Society of Allied and Independent Funeral Directors
These organisations all have codes of practice – they must give you a price list when asked.
Some local councils also run their own funeral services, for example for non-religious burials. The British Humanist Association can also help with non-religious funerals.
Arranging the funeral yourself
Contact the Cemeteries and Crematorium Department of your local council to arrange a funeral yourself.
Funeral costs
Funeral costs can include:
- Funeral director fees
- Things the funeral director pays for on your behalf (called ‘disbursements’ or ‘third-party costs’), for example, crematorium or cemetery fees, or a newspaper announcement about the death
- Local authority burial or cremation fees
Funeral directors should list all these costs in their quotes.
Every bereavement is different and there are different processes depending on your individual circumstances.
Your GP can be a real support through this difficult time but we recognise that grief is not a medical problem and often we are not always best placed to support you through the process, so please see below some helpful websites for bereavement support:
