What to do when someone dies: the first week

Introduction

Death is tough enough without everything else that comes with it. Most people learn what happens after a death the hard way. This article aims to talk you through exactly what to do when someone dies, within the first week – we hope this can help you during a hard time.

How to Verify Their Death

The first important practical step to take when someone dies is verifying their death with a medical professional. In most cases, a doctor will give you a medical certificate of cause of death (MCCD); this creates a permanent legal record of your loved one’s death and enables you to register the death officially later on.

If they die at home:

• Call the GP or an out-of-hours GP within 2-3 hours.
• A doctor will come to confirm that they’ve died. They may not be a doctor you’ve met before. If a coroner is not needed, they will issue a medical certificate of cause of death (MCCD).

If they die in a hospital or hospice:

• The hospital team will organise their death to be verified for you.
• When a coroner is not needed, a doctor will issue a medical certificate of cause of death (MCCD).

When is a coroner required?

Around 45% of deaths in England and Wales are reported to a coroner. Some common reasons a death is reported to the coroner are:

• The cause of death is unknown or uncertain
• The person who died did not see a doctor during their last illness or in the 28 days before they died
• Their death may be linked to medical treatment they underwent or a lack of medical care
• Their death may be linked to an accident (no matter when and where it happened)
• It’s suspected that they died by suicide
• They died under suspicious circumstances

You can find a more in-depth list of reasons for a death being reported to a coroner here: https://coronerscourtssupportservice.org.uk/faq/

Caring For Them

What happens after a death depends on where they died, in a hospital or hospice, or at home, and whether the death is reported to a coroner.

If they died at a hospital or hospice and a coroner isn’t required:

• They will be moved to the mortuary on-site if there is one, or a funeral director will come and collect them.
• If they registered for organ donation and are eligible for it, a doctor will talk to you about this process – this conversation typically happens soon after their death.

If they died at home and a coroner isn’t needed:

• They can be collected and cared for by the funeral director. You will still be able to visit them there if you wish.
• Or, if it’s an expected death, you can usually keep them at home until you are ready. Most people don’t realise this is an option – whether for hours or for days, you’re free to take care of them yourself. You can find out more about how to take care of someone who has died at home, here.

If their death is reported to a coroner:

• The coroner will take care of them so that they can determine the cause of death.
• Once the coroner has held their investigation, they will be returned as soon as possible.

Registering Their Death

Next, you should register their death, and get a death certificate.

When does this need to be done?

If you have a medical certificate of cause of death (MCCD), their death needs to be registered within 5 days.
The registration process may be delayed if the death is reported to a coroner.

How long does it take?

It should take around 30 minutes.

Where do I register the death?

In a register office near you.

Where is a register office near me?

You can find your nearest register office here: https://www.gov.uk/register-offices

Who can register the death?

A relative should register the death.
If this isn’t possible, then any of the following people can register their death:

• Someone who was there at the time of death.
• An administrator at the hospital (if they died in the hospital).
• Someone in charge of making funeral arrangements.

How do I do it?

Call the register office before you go. They’ll tell you what documents and information you’ll need to bring with you. Make sure to bring the MCCD, if you have one.

Top Tip

It’s worth requesting more than one official death certificate. It's recommended to get between 5-10. Often, it’s cheaper to get these on the day of registration than at a later point in time.