When Someone Close ToYou Dies

When someone dies at home and the death is expected you will need to call their GP or community care team, they will come to the house to certify the death. You can then contact us so that we can bring your loved one into our care once the doctor has attended.

The GP will subsequently issue a Medical Certificate for the cause of death. The certificate is sent by the doctor to the Registrars to enable the registering of the death to take place.

If the death was sudden or unexpected, call 999 immediately to inform the police. They will guide you on the next steps. When the police attend they may ask you to nominate a Funeral Directors, this is where you can nominate us and we would attend to your loved one.

In the instance of sudden unexpected deaths the Coroner is informed and will investigate the cause of death, in our area this usually consists of a CT scan. A Coroners Officer will contact you and guide you through this process as it can change the registration process.

The staff at the Home will contact the GP when a death and will then notify your nominated funeral director to bring your loved one into our care. Often a nominated funeral director will form part of their care plan and conversations with you prior to your loved one passing away.

Following a death in hospital your primary contact will be with the Hospital Bereavement Team; they will require confirmation as to whether the funeral will be a burial or a cremation and they will arrange for a doctor to issue the Medical Certificate for the Registrars and any other relevant paperwork.

Deaths should be registered within 5 days in England and Wales, where there is no coroner involvement.

For deaths in Lancashire or Sefton (Southport area)

Lancashire Registry Office: 0300 1236 705

Sefton Registry Office: 0151 934 2011 or 0151 934 2012 or 0151 934 2013 

Outside these areas we can advise number to call.

While working through the registration process with you, the registrar will issue a Certificate for a Burial or Cremation (‘Green Form’) this is now sent directly to us. During the registration appointment you will also have the opportunity to buy copies of the death certificate which you will need to close bank accounts and do other legal and financial tasks.

The ‘Green Form’ enables us to take the deceased from hospital into our care, it acts as our authority to look after them – a bit like their passport, they can’t travel anywhere without it.

You can call us at any time (24 hours a day) following a death and do not need to wait until the death has been registered.

Our contact numbers are:

Hutton – Tel. 01772 616362 (24 hours)

Penwortham – Tel. 01772 744700 (24 hours)

Tarleton – Tel. 01772 301700 (24 hours)

Lostock Hall – Tel. 01772 372522 (24 hours)

We will talk you through the funeral options available to you, and help you choose the best way to celebrate your loved ones life.

Funeral costs can vary depending on the type of service you would like but they include:

• funeral director fees
• things the funeral director pays for on your behalf (called ‘disbursements’ or ‘third-party costs’); these include crematorium or cemetery fees, church fees, and doctor’s fees
• optional items, such as flowers, service sheets, or newspaper notices

The funeral can be paid for:

• with money from the person’s estate
• from an insurance policy or pre-paid funeral plan that the person had by you, or other family members or friends
• you may be able to apply for a Funeral Expenses Payment if you have difficulty paying for the funeral and are in receipt of qualifying benefit payments