If you are finding it hard to cope after a lost in your family or friend or require specialised support or counselling you can now self refer for bereavement counselling. Patients need to be 18 or over. Please complete the online form, ring or email 

Visit - www.stjh.org.uk

Referral- www.stjh.org.uk/make-a-referral/how-to-make-a-referral 

Email - haringeybereavement@stjh.org.uk or stjosephs.firstcontact@nhs.net

Ring - Bereavement counselling 0207 263 8884 or 0300 303 0400

Bereavement support from suicide

If your lost one died from suicide and you would like some help with counselling you can ring the national helpline below or visit survivors of bereavement by suicide. 

Visit - www.uksobs.org

Email - email.support@uksobs.org

Ring - 0300 111 5065 

When a loved one passed away it can be a difficult time for the family. If this has affected you may we offer our sympathy to you, your family and friends during this very sad time. In the early days of bereavement there may be lots of questions you want to ask. There are many decisions and arrangements to make in a short space of time, which can be difficult, and we hope that you will find the enclosed information helpful during the next few days. This leaflet is designed to provide practical advice. It gives guidance on who can help and where further information can be found, as well as explaining procedures such as registering a death. The practice will try and attempt to contact you to offer condolences for your loss. You should book an appointment with the Doctor or a staff member if you wish to discuss any aspect of help.

The Death Certificate

The Death Certificate is an official copy of the entry in the death register. You will need copies of the Death Certificate to deal with the deceased’s will, any pension claims, insurance policies, savings accounts, etc. (photocopies will not usually be accepted).   You can buy a copy of the Death Certificate from the Registrar. It may be worth asking for two copies or more when you are registering the death, as they are more expensive if you request them later. The Registrar will advise you of how many copies you might need and the cost involved.

Title: Death Registration (update Sep 2024)

From Monday 9 September 2024, all community deaths will need to be referred to the local Medical Examiner before the death can be registered.

Q1. What do medical examiners do?

Medical examiners seek to answer three questions:

• What caused the death of the deceased?

• Does the coroner need to be notified of the death?

• Was the care before death appropriate?

Q2.  How do medical examiners do this?

Medical examiners carry out

•  A proportionate review of relevant medical records

•  Interaction with the doctor completing the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death

•  Interaction with the bereaved, providing an opportunity to ask questions and to raise concerns

Q3. What are the benefits of the Medical Examiner Service?

•  Supportive to Health professionals

•   Fewer rejected MCCDs

•  Improved referrals to coroners

•  Improves accuracy of information provided on MCCD

Q4. When is the service available?

• Monday – Friday

•  08.00 to 16.00

• Saturday and Sunday (inc. bank holidays)

• Saturday and Sunday

• 09:00 to 12:00

Q5. Will faith deaths be prioritised?

• Cases will be prioritised (e.g., for cultural or religious reasons)

Q6. Does the service remove the need to contact the coroner if the cause of death is unclear?

•  All deaths should be referred to the medical examiner service

• If the cause of death is not known, a notification should be made to the coroner in the usual way

• If the cause of death is unclear, the medical examiner will review and advise accordingly.

 Q7. How long does the process take?

•  The complete process may take up to 48 hours. This will be dependent on the number of cases referred to the service.

Please contact the relevant ME officer dependent on location of death

Registering the Death

A death can be registered by any of the following (in order of preference):-

• A relative of the deceased who was present at the time of death

• A relative of the deceased who was present during the illness

• A relative of the deceased

• A person present at the death

• A person responsible for the funeral arrangements, but this does not mean the funeral director. It must be the relative, friend or legal representative who instructs the funeral director.

 When you register a death, you will need to take the following documents with you; the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death.

 If possible also take:

• The deceased’s medical card

• The deceased’s birth and marriage certificate

• Details of the deceased’s pension from public funds, e.g. Civil Service or HM Forces. If you are unable to find the items above, do not worry, the Registrar will still be able to register the death.

You will also need to tell the Registrar:

• The date and place of death

• The deceased’s last address

• The deceased’s first names and surname (and maiden name where appropriate)

• The deceased’s date and place of birth

• The deceased’s occupation (former occupation if retired)

• If the deceased was married, the date of birth of the surviving widow/widower and, if possible, their full name and occupation.

The Registrar will give you:

• A certificate for burial or cremation (the “Green Form). This gives permission for the body to be buried, or for an application for cremation to be made. You should give this to the funeral director as soon as possible so that the funeral can be held.

• A Certificate of Registration of Death – a white form for social security (Benefits Agency) purposes usually referred to as a BD8.

If the death was investigated by the Coroner you may have been given a Coroners Order for Burial (Form 101) or a Coroners Certificate for Cremation (Form E). Either form supersedes Registrars “Green Form” and should be given to the Funeral Director.

Address - Haringey Civic Centre  Mon to Friday 9.30-4.00pm

Ring - 02084892605 (Out of Hours 0208489000 Weekends/Bank holiday) 

Arranging the Funeral

You can contact a funeral director of your choice as soon as you wish, so that they can start to make arrangements on your behalf. You can do this even before the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death has been issued. It is often a good idea to contact a director who is close to where the deceased lived or someone who has been recommended to you. Consider asking relatives or a close friend to help you make the funeral arrangements as this can be a very difficult time. Most funeral directors are available 7 days a week and they may visit you at home, if desired, to go through arrangements.

As costs vary, it is a good idea to contact more than one funeral director and obtain estimates. Once you have chosen your funeral director, they will:  

• Take care of the deceased

• Deal with all the paperwork involved

• Make service arrangements with the church, cemetery or crematorium or both

If you wish to pay your last respects to the deceased, your funeral director will make the appropriate arrangements for you.

The Coroner’s Office

If someone dies suddenly or unexpectedly, the Coroner must investigate the cause. This is necessary under law and it not anything to worry about. For example, some medical conditions and diseases, such as those caused by working conditions, must be reported to the Coroner and will usually investigated. If the death occurs in hospital, a doctor from the hospital will notify the Coroner of the death.

 In these circumstances you should still contact a funeral director straight away but you should tell them that the death has been referred to the Coroner. If the death is to be investigated by the Coroner, a post mortem examination may be necessary to find out the exact cause of death. The consent of the relatives or carers is not needed for the Coroner to carry out a post mortem.

Address - HM Coroner’s Court 29 Wood Street Barnet EN5 4BE 

Ring - 020 8447 7680

Useful telephone numbers

Citizens Advice                                 0844 3752712        

Coroner’s Office                                02084477680

Pension Services                              0845 6060265

Probate Services                              0800 6126105 (Freephone)

Register Births, Death, Marriages  02084892605

Social Security Information            0845 6060265

War Pension Helpline                     0800 169227

At times you may need more than practical support and advice. You may want to talk to someone who has been through a similar experience or someone who is outside your family who can offer a sympathetic ear. There are a number of organisations that can offer comfort and support:

Age Concern / UK: 0208801 2444

Child Death Helpline: 0800 282986

Compassionate Friends (bereaved parents): 0845 1232304

Cot Death Helpline: 0808 8026868

Cruse: 08444779400

MacMillan Cancer Support: 0808 8080000

Stillbirth & Neonatal Death Society: 0207 4365881

The Samaritans: 0845 7909090