When a Death Occurs at Home

If a death occurs at home and it was expected (for instance, due to illness), you should call your GP as soon as you can to receive a medical certificate of cause of death. Once the doctor has viewed the body, you may begin to make the arrangements for the funeral.

If in doubt, you can ring in our phone number to arrange for an ambulance to be sent to assist you.

If the death occurs in the hospital or a care home, you'll be advised by the staff at the facility about what you should do. The initial stages of the paperwork will be handled by the home or hospital in question, and they will advise you further on registering the death and contacting a funeral director.

In the case of a sudden or unexpected death, you must ring the emergency services. The operator will direct you accordingly.