Experiencing the death of a loved one is a very difficult time.
There are some essential processes that are are required to take place by law.
- If an expected death (someone who was suffering from long term/terminal illness) occurs at the patient's address or place of care, within practice opening hours, please contact us.
- If a death occurs outside of these hours, please contact 111.
A medical professional will need to visit the deceased to verify the death. A death certificate can then be arranged. This is required for the Registrar service to register the death.
Once we are notified of a death, we will inform the Medical Examiner as soon as possible. If we can provide a cause of death, a signed death certificate will be given to the Medical Examiner for approval. The Medical Examiner typically then contacts the next of kin, or a designated representative, to answer any questions they may have and to finalise the certificate within around 2 working days. Once the Medical Examiner has approved and countersigned it, the Registrar's office will be notified so that the death can be officially recorded with the Registry Office.
There is no longer a physical death certificate to collect from the GP surgery in order to register the death.
You can read more about this by visiting: Medical examiner service (mse.nhs.uk)
In some cases, an unexpected death will need to be referred to the coroner. A coroner is responsible for investigating and making decisions about an unexpected or sudden death. Find out more on the Essex Coroner's Service website.
For deaths that occured in the hospital, the bereavment team will be able to answer any questions you may have. The hospital will be responsible for completing the certificate. You can contact Southend Hospital bereavement team on 0300 443 0115.
Further support can be found online. If you are struggling with a bereavement, contact us to arrange to speak to a member of the clinical team to get personalised support.