What to Do When Someone Dies

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When someone dies, knowing what to do next can feel difficult, particularly if you have never had to arrange a funeral before.

William Dunphy Funeral Directors is an independent family funeral director serving families throughout London and surrounding areas from our funeral homes in Brockley and East Dulwich.

Whether someone has died at home, in a care home, hospital or hospice, our experienced funeral directors can guide you through what happens next and help you begin making the necessary funeral arrangements.

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Someone Has Died at Home – What Should I Do?

If someone dies at home and the death was expected, for example following an illness, you should normally contact the appropriate healthcare professional so that the death can be verified.

Once the death has been verified and the necessary arrangements allow, you can contact William Dunphy Funeral Directors. We can arrange to bring the person who has died into our care and explain what will happen next.

If the death happens during the night, at a weekend or on a bank holiday, please contact us for advice as our phones are staffed 24 hours. Our funeral directors can guide you according to the circumstances.

If the death was sudden or unexpected, different procedures apply and the police and Coroner may need to be involved.

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Someone Has Died in a Care Home – What Happens Next?

When someone dies in a care home, the care home staff will normally arrange for the death to be verified and will contact the appropriate healthcare professionals.

Once the necessary procedures have been completed, the care home will usually ask which funeral director the family wishes to use.

You can tell them that you would like William Dunphy Funeral Directors to take care of your relative.

The care home or family can then contact us and, when appropriate, we will arrange for the person who has died to be brought into our care.

We can then guide you through the next steps, including registering the death and beginning the funeral arrangements.

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Someone Has Died in Hospital – What Happens Next?

When someone dies in hospital, the hospital will initially care for them in its mortuary.

The hospital's bereavement team or relevant department will explain the next steps and the Medical Examiner process.

You do not have to wait until all of the paperwork has been completed before contacting William Dunphy Funeral Directors.

You can contact us as soon as you feel ready. We can begin discussing the funeral arrangements with you and liaise with the hospital regarding bringing the person who has died into our care when the necessary documentation and permissions are available.

If the death needs to be referred to the Coroner, the procedure may be different and we will explain what this means for the funeral arrangements.

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Someone Has Died in a Hospice – What Happens Next?

If someone dies in a hospice, the hospice staff will guide the family through the immediate steps and arrange for the death to be verified.

You can tell the hospice that you would like William Dunphy Funeral Directors to look after your relative.

Once the necessary procedures have been completed and the hospice confirms that the person can be transferred, we can arrange to bring them into our care.

We can then help you with the next stages, including funeral arrangements, registration information and any questions you may have.

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The Death Was Unexpected – What Should I Do?

If someone dies suddenly or unexpectedly, you should not assume that the normal procedure for an expected death applies.

If the person has collapsed and you believe there is any possibility that they may still be alive, call 999 immediately and follow the instructions given by the emergency services.

Where a death is sudden, unexpected or its cause is unknown, the police and Coroner may become involved.

If the death is referred to the Coroner, the person who has died may be taken to a designated mortuary while the circumstances and cause of death are investigated.

This does not prevent you from choosing a funeral director. You can contact William Dunphy Funeral Directors at any stage for advice and to begin discussing the funeral arrangements.

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When Is the Coroner Involved?

A death may be referred to the Coroner for a number of reasons, including when the cause of death is unknown, the death was sudden or unexpected, or there are circumstances that require further investigation.

A referral to the Coroner does not necessarily mean that anything suspicious has happened.

The Coroner will decide what investigation is necessary. In some cases this may include a post-mortem examination, and in certain circumstances an inquest may be required.

If the Coroner is involved, the usual process for registering the death can be different.

William Dunphy Funeral Directors regularly deals with Coroners and their officers and can explain how the process may affect the funeral arrangements.

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What Does the Medical Examiner Do?

Medical Examiners provide independent scrutiny of deaths that are not investigated by a Coroner.

The Medical Examiner is a senior doctor who was not involved in treating the person who died. They review the proposed cause of death and relevant medical records and may discuss the circumstances of the death with the doctor who cared for the person.

The Medical Examiner's office also gives bereaved families an opportunity to ask questions or raise concerns about the cause of death or the care their relative received.

Once the necessary medical certification and Medical Examiner process has been completed, the information required to register the death is sent to the register office.

If the death needs to be investigated by the Coroner instead, the Medical Examiner's office can refer the death to the Coroner.

You do not need to wait for this process to be completed before contacting William Dunphy Funeral Directors. We can begin discussing the funeral arrangements while the necessary documentation is being completed.

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How Do I Register a Death?

Deaths in England and Wales normally need to be registered with the register office responsible for the area where the death occurred.

Following the appropriate medical certification and Medical Examiner process, the relevant information is normally sent electronically to the register office.

The register office can then advise you about making an appointment or completing the registration according to its local procedure.

During registration, you will usually be asked for information about the person who has died, such as their full name, date and place of birth, usual address, occupation and marital or civil partnership status.

You can also purchase certified copies of the death certificate, which may be needed when dealing with banks, insurance companies, pensions and the person's estate.

If the death has been referred to the Coroner, the registration process may be different. The Coroner's office will advise you about what happens next.

William Dunphy Funeral Directors can help explain the registration process and point you towards the appropriate register office if you are unsure who to contact.

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When Should I Contact a Funeral Director?

You can contact William Dunphy Funeral Directors as soon as someone dies.

You do not normally need to wait until the death has been registered before speaking to us or beginning to discuss the funeral arrangements.

We can guide you through what needs to happen next, arrange to bring the person who has died into our care when appropriate, discuss burial or cremation options and begin making the funeral arrangements with you.

If the hospital, Medical Examiner, Coroner or register office is still completing its procedures, we can still begin discussing the funeral with you and work around the necessary documentation and permissions.

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Need Help After Someone Has Died?

William Dunphy Funeral Directors has been serving families since 1996 from our funeral homes in Brockley and East Dulwich, South London.

If someone has died and you are unsure what to do next, please contact us. We will explain the next steps clearly and help you through the funeral arrangements.

We can assist with cremations, burials, church funerals, direct cremations, international repatriation and Personalised funeral services throughout London and further afield.