When to register the death
When a death occurs, a registered medical practitioner will complete the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death (MCCD); this may be a hospital doctor, if the death occurred in hospital, or a GP, if the death occurred at home. The MCCD is then forwarded to the local Medical Examiner for scrutiny. The Medical Examiner will contact the bereaved family, giving them the opportunity to raise concerns and ask questions. Once the Medical Examiner is satisfied with the given cause of death and no further investigation is necessary, the MCCD is then forwarded to the registrar; the registration informant will be notified and arrangements can then be made to attend the Register Office to register the death. A death is normally registered within five working days of the Registrar receiving the MCCD and can be one of the following:
- A relative who was present at the time of death.
- Any other relative.
- Any other person present at the time of death.
- Someone who occupies the premises where the death occurred, if they’re aware of the death.
- The person arranging the funeral (but not the Funeral Director)
The Registrar will issue the following:
- Certified Copy of an Entry of Death (sometimes known as the Death Certificate). This is used to attend to matters of the deceased’s estate, such as pensions, bank accounts and insurances. Some agencies will require original copies, so it is advisable to obtain several copies from the Registrar.
- Registrar’s Certificate for Burial or Cremation (sometimes known as the Green Form). This should be passed on to the Funeral Director as soon as possible, as it gives authority for the funeral to go ahead.
Some Registrars offer the Tell Us Once Service on behalf of the Department of Work and Pensions. This service informs central and local government services of the death all at once, without the need to write to or telephone each department separately. This service is free to use and saves a lot of time and effort.
In cases of sudden, unexpected and unexplained deaths, the case is likely to be referred to the Coroner for investigation. The Coroner may request a postmortem examination to help ascertain a cause of death and an inquest may be held. Once the Coroner is satisfied they have all the information they need, either the Registrar will be notified for registration to take place following the standard procedure, or, in the event of an inquest being held, will issue and interim death certificate to allow the funeral to go ahead and matters of the deceased’s estate to be dealt with. After the inquest, the Coroner will normally register the death on behalf of the next of kin, but will advise of any further action required.