What to do

Information on the services provided by Co-operative Funeralcare

What happens when

Someone you love dies at home or in a nursing home?
Telephone the doctor: When someone dies at home, the first contact should be with the deceased's doctor who, if satisfied with the cause of death, will issue the Medical Certificate of Death. In some cases you may be asked to collect the certificate from the surgery. In the case of a nursing home death, their staff should liaise with the doctor.

Immediately after informing the doctor, you should contact us. We will arrange a suitable time, day or night, to visit you and discuss your requirements.

Someone you love dies in hospital?
The sister or staff nurse will see you if death occurs in hospital. They will arrange for a doctor to issue the Medical Certificate of Death. You will need to collect this and any belongings. If the funeral is to be a cremation, please advise the hospital staff.

Contact our funeral home immediately - we will arrange a suitable time, day or night, to visit you to discuss the funeral arrangements and bringing the deceased into our care.

Someone you love dies suddenly?
When someone dies unexpectedly, it is normal for the Coroner or Procurator Fiscal (in Scotland) to be involved. There are many reasons why this can happen. The Coroner/Procurator Fiscal is automatically involved in most sudden or unexpected deaths, especially if the deceased has not been under a doctor's care on a regular basis.

Contact our funeral home as soon as possible. We can advise on the procedures involved and liaise with the Coroner's/Procurator Fiscal's office.

Someone you love dies away from home or abroad?
When death takes place some distance away from home, either within the UK or anywhere abroad contact us and we can make all the necessary arrangements.

Bringing the one you love into our care
We will ask you where you would like the deceased to rest before the funeral. This can be at home or at one of our funeral homes. If you choose your home, we recommend that you allow us to bring the deceased into our care, to be returned home at a later time when all necessary preparations have been completed.

We will explain the procedure involved in registering a death.
You must register your loved one's death before the funeral can take place. A relative of the deceased usually registers the death. If no relative is available, then the duty may be performed by any person present at the death, the occupier of the premises where the death took place, or the person who is accepting responsibility for arranging the funeral. It may be necessary to arrange an appointment with the Registrar.

If you feel you would like support, we can arrange for someone to accompany you to the Registrar's Office.

What does the Registrar need to know?

The Registrar will require the following information about the deceased:

• The date and place of their death
• Their full name
• The date and place of their birth
• Their occupation
• Their home address
• If they were in receipt of a pension or allowance from public funds
• If in a Civil Partnership, the date of birth of the surviving spouse

Registering the death

The Registrar will also require the following documents:

• The Medical Certificate of Cause of Death
• The deceased's National Health Service medical card (if available)
• The deceased's Birth Certificate
• The deceased's Civil Partnership Certificate (if applicable)
• The Registrar will issue a green certificate for burial or cremation (a white certificate of registration of death in Scotland) which is required by us prior to the funeral taking place.
• Certified copies of the entry of death can be obtained for a small charge - these may be needed for legal or financial purposes.

If the death has been referred to the coroner, the registration process may vary - we will advise you accordingly.

For more information and help please contact us: