When Someone Dies

What to Do When Someone Dies

When someone you love passes away, it can be hard to know what to do first. At Harris & Steadman Funeral Directors, we are here to support you from the very beginning. Whether the death occurs at home, in hospital or in a care setting, our experienced team will gently guide you through the steps you need to take.

On this page we have outlined some basic information, but just know that if you want help and advice then please just ask us. Losing someone we love is traumatic and regardless of whether their passing is expected, or unexpected, then it is reassuring to know that we care and will support you.

My loved one died at home

If you discovered a loved one has passed away, but it was unexpected, then you should call 999. The responders will guide you through certain checks to decide what needs to be done next, and as hard as these checks may seem at the time, it is to make sure that an emergency ambulance is not required.

A qualified healthcare professional must confirm the death — usually the deceased's GP or, outside GP hours, NHS 111 or an out-of-hours doctor. Once verification is complete, please call us and we will arrange to transfer your loved one into our care.

My loved one died unexpectedly

If the death is expected and not reportable to the coroner, the GP notifies the local Medical Examiner’s Office. If however the death was unexpected (example your loved one passed away without any apparent reason or known cause) then the case is referred to the coroner, who may order a post-mortem or inquest. You should still contact a funeral director for support and to arrange the collection of the deceased, even though you can't hold the funeral until the coroner's investigation is complete. No funeral arrangements can proceed until this is resolved.

Tell us once service

If your loved one has died at a hospital, then usually you will be advised by their support team what to do next. You may not have heard about the "tell us once service", but basically this is a service whereby you would register your loved ones death online. When you do this, the tell us once service allows you to inform central and local government services of the death all at one time. The services works on behalf of the DWP (Department of Work & Pensions). Tell Us Once is a free service that helps you let most council and government departments know when someone has died.