Arranging a funeral
What to do when an expected death occurs
When someone dies at home and the death was expected, you should call the deceased's doctor's practice, or the district nurses if under their care, to attend the deceased. If the death occurs outside of surgery hours then call NHS 111 and they will arrange for someone to visit. If the person dies in hospital or at a hospice, the next of kin or named person will be informed of the death. Most hospitals and hospices will keep the deceased until all of the necessary paperwork has been completed, and they have been advised by you to carry out the funeral arrangements. If the person has died at a care or nursing home, the death must be confirmed by a qualified person such as a doctor or nurse. After someone dies, a doctor who has cared for them will complete the necessary paperwork. A medical examiner will then check the cause of death stated by the doctor to make sure it's accurate.
The medical examiner's office will contact you to:
- explain the cause of death
- answer any questions you have about this, or the healthcare provided to the person before they died
They will also confirm to you when you can make an appointment to register the death. Once you have received this confirmation you can either telephone the Registrar to book an appointment, or use the online system which shows availability. You should normally register in the area in which the person died, but if this is not possible you may make a declaration at another Register office.
What to do when an unexpected death occurs
If someone dies unexpectedly at home you should call 999. The deceased will be collected by the Coroner and held in their care whilst further investigations are made, and a post-mortem may be necessary to confirm the cause of death. Provisional funeral arrangements may be made at this time but the date of the funeral cannot be confirmed until the coroner is in a position to release the deceased. When a death is reported to a coroner, they will decide either:
- the cause of death is clear
- that a post-mortem is needed
- to hold an inquest
If the coroner decides that the cause of death is clear, they will issue a certificate to the registrar saying that a post-mortem or inquest is not needed, and you can register the death in the normal way. If a post-mortem is required, the coroner will release the deceased for a funeral once they have completed their examinations. They will also notify the registrar, and you can then register the death.
A coroner must hold an inquest if:
- following a post-mortem the cause of death is still unknown
- the person might have died a violent or unnatural death
- the person might have died in prison or police custody
The coroner will issue an interim death certificate until the inquest is over, at which point you can get the final death certificate from the registrar.
Confirming a date and time for the funeral
This cannot be done until either the death has been registered, or the Coroner has given clearance following a post mortem. Once this is done, you can contact us to begin making arrangements.
Registrar telephone numbers
East Sussex: 0345 60 80 198
Kent: 03000 41 51 51
Brighton: 01273 292016
West Sussex: 01243 642122
Out of area: visit www.gov.uk/register-offices
