Faq's

What do I need to do when someone dies?

If the deceased has been ill for some time and the death is expected, the family should first call their GP who will need to visit the deceased and certify life extinct. If a person is to be cremated, the doctor who has been treating the deceased before death, should sight him/her after death and issue two certificates. One is the “Certificate of Cause of Death” often referred to as the “death certificate” (though this is not the official death certificate) which will state a cause of death, the second is a cremation form. Alternatively, if the deceased is to be buried, then only the “Certificate of Cause of Death” form is required. The family could then phone the funeral directors to engage their services, but generally a funeral director will not transfer a deceased from the place of death until the attending doctor has issued the required documentation. Occasionally, if a doctor is unable to sight the deceased at the time, they may give permission for the funeral director to transfer and then make arrangements to view the deceased later. This may occur if the doctor is away for a weekend, or off duty etc.