What to Do When a Loved One Has Passed Away

At Southall Funeral Service, we know how difficult and disorienting it can be when a loved one passes away. We’re here to help guide you through this challenging time.

What To Do When A Loved One Has Passed Away

At Southall Funeral Service, we understand how difficult and disorientating it can be when a loved one passes away. We’re here to help.
A member of our team is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Our service to you begins the moment you contact us—whether by telephone or by visiting our premises—and often extends well beyond the day of the funeral.
When you first get in touch, we will ask for some preliminary details. Whether your loved one has passed away at home, in hospital, or in a nursing home, we will arrange for them to be transferred into our care with dignity and respect.

We will then arrange a time and place that suits you to discuss the funeral arrangements.

This section provides a brief guide to the things you may need to consider when someone dies. It’s very common to feel unsure of what to do following a bereavement, and the following information offers some helpful initial guidance.

Need Immediate Assistance?

Call a member of our team for help

020 8571 0621

or

020 8843 0777

What to do when a Death occurs

When a Death Occurs at Home

The first contact when a death occurs at home should be with the deceased’s Doctor who, if satisfed with the cause of death, will issue the Medical Certificate of Death, which may need to be collected from the Doctor’s surgery if the death occurs outside the surgery’s opening hours. If the cause of death cannot be determined then the doctors will refer the death to the Coroner.

When a Death Occurs in Hospital

When a death occurs in hospital, the hospital staff will arrange for a Doctor to issue the Medical Certificate of Death, which will need to collect along with a belongings from the hospital. If the funeral is to be a cremation, please advise the hospital staff so they can make arrangements for any additional documentation that is needed. The Hospital may also issue a release form, which needs to be signed by the next of kin, thus releasing the deceased into the care of the Funeral Director.

When a Death Occurs in a Nursing Home

When a death occurs in a Nursing Home, the staff at the nursing home will liaise with the Doctor who if satisfed with the cause of death will issue the Medical Certificate of Death, which may be need to be collect from the Doctor’s surgery, if the cause of death cannot be determined then the doctor will refer the death to the Coroner.

When a Death Occurs Unexpectedly

The Coroner is in the main automatically involved. If the deceased has not been under a Doctor’s care on a regular basis, the emergency Doctor, or any Police involved, will inform the Coroner as soon as possible.

What to Do When a Loved One Has Passed Away