Our Bereavement Guide
We've put together a clear and concise guide of what to do following a bereavement. We are at hand day and night to offer you support and assistance in your time of bereavement.
You can call us anytime on 0121 308 2626 for our immediate assistance and to speak to Tony and his team. We offer a 24 Hour Call Out Service, so no matter the time, we can collect your loved one and bring them into our care.
If your loved one has passed away in Hospital, the attending Doctor or Nurse will confirm death. Your loved one will be taken to and cared for within the on-site mortuary facilities temporarily.
The Doctor who last tended to your loved one will be required to issue a Medical Certificate of Cause of Death which will be provided to you by the Bereavement Office. Once you have this document, you can proceed to Register the Death at the Register Office. If the Doctor is unable to issue a Cause of Death, they will refer the death to the Coroner for further investigation.
Once the death has been registered, you will be issued with a Green Certificate which will enable our team to transfer your loved one from the Hospital Mortuary into our care by Private Ambulance.
If your loved one has passed away at home, you must first arrange for the death to be confirmed by a qualified practitioner such as a Doctor, Nurse or Paramedic. Following the confirmation of death, please contact us by telephone, anytime day or night on 0121 308 2626.
We are on standby 24 Hours a Day, 365 Days a Year. When you are ready, we will attend the private address to convey your loved one into our care by Private Ambulance.
As soon as possible, you must contact your loved one's GP and inform them of the death. If they are able to, they will issue a Medical Certificate of Cause of Death which will in turn allow you to Register the Death at the Register Office. If the GP is unable to issue a Cause of Death, they will refer the death to the Coroner for further investigation.
If your loved one has passed away in a care or nursing home, a Nurse will confirm death. Following the confirmation of death, please contact us by telephone, anytime day or night on 0121 308 2626.
We are on standby 24 Hours a Day, 365 Days a Year. When you are ready, we will attend the care or nursing home to convey your loved one into our care by Private Ambulance.
The Nurse who confirmed death will inform your loved ones GP of their passing and request for them to issue a Medical Certificate of Cause of Death, which will in turn enable you to Register the Death at the Register Office. If the GP is unable to issue a Cause of Death, they will refer the death to the coroner for further investigation.
If your loved one has passed away in a Hospice, a Nurse or Doctor will confirm death. Following the confirmation of death, please contact us by telephone, anytime day or night on 0121 308 2626.
We are on standby 24 Hours a Day, 365 Days a Year. When you are ready, we will attend the Hospice to convey your loved one into our care by Private Ambulance. In some circumstances, the Hospice may have on-site mortuary facilities in which your loved one will rest until the necessary paperwork has been completed.
The Doctor who last tended to your loved one will be informed of the death and will be required to issue a Medical Certificate of Cause of Death, which will in turn enable you to Register the Death at the Register Office. If the Doctor is unable to issue a Cause of Death, they will refer the death to the coroner for further investigation.
If your loved one has passed away suddenly and unexpectedly you must contact the emergency services. Paramedics will attend to confirm death and may request for Police to be present depending on the circumstances surrounding the death. In most circumstances the Coroner will be informed and will collect your loved one from the place of death, transferring them into their Mortuary Facilities for examination.
Once the Coroner has completed their investigation, your loved one will be released into our care and you can then begin to make plans for their funeral arrangements.
If your loved one has passed away abroad, contact us on 0121 308 2626 for immediate assistance. Our team will make all of the necessary arrangements to bring your loved one back to the UK.
Contact UsThe Coroners purpose is to investigate and find the cause of death of a person who has died, and at the time of death, no Doctor was able to issue a Medical Certificate of Cause of Death, or where a death was sudden, unexpected or suspicious.
In some circumstances, the Coroner will refer the death back to the Doctor and allow them to issue a Medical Certificate of Cause of Death. When this isn't possible, the Coroner must investigate the Death to confirm the cause.
A Post Mortem Examination may be carried out to gather the physical evidence required to confirm the cause of death. If there is no obvious cause of death from the initial results of the Post Mortem Examination, toxicology tests will be carried out on small samples of blood and tissue.
If the Coroner is unable to issue a confirmed cause of death, they will release your loved one into our care and issue an Interim Death Certificate, pending the full cause of death. You can still proceed with funeral arrangements at this point.
If the Coroner is able to issue a confirmed cause of death, you must attend the Register Office to Register the Death officially.
Once a cause of death is established, the death must be registered at the Register Office within the area in which the death occurred. If a Medical Certificate of Cause of Death has been issued by a Doctor, this must be emailed to the Register Office. If the Coroner investigated the death and have ascertained the cause of death, they will instruct the Register Office accordingly.
Most Register Offices operate on a telephone appointment only basis. Contact the Register Office to arrange your appointment and be ready to provide them with the following information.
- The full name of the person who died
- Their full home address
- Their date and place of birth
- Details of where and when the person died
- Their occupation, if applicable
- If they were recieving any benefits, including pensions or allowance from public funds
- The name, occupation and date of birth of their spouse or civil partner, if applicable
Following the Registration, the Register Office will issue a Death Certificate and a Green Certificate. The Green Certificate enables the Burial or Cremation to go ahead, and must be sent to us at your earliest convenience. When the Coroner has determined the Cause of Death and the deceased is to be Cremated, the Green Form will not be issued, instead a Cremation Certificate will be issued by the Coroner.
Contact UsWhen you feel ready to begin making the arrangements for your loved ones funeral, simply contact us by telephone anytime day or night on 0121 308 2626.
We can arrange a meeting with you in person at our Funeral Home, or in the comfort of your own home if you prefer. Alternatively, all of the arrangements can be made over the telephone and documentation posted out to you for completion.
During our discussions, we will work with you to create a meaningful funeral in honour of your loved ones life, no matter how simple or extravagant, we can help you through each and every step. We will provide you with all of the options available including alternative Coffins and Caskets, Floral Tributes, Order of Service Booklets, Vehicle Options, Music and personal touches.
We can usually secure a date for your loved ones Funeral during our meeting and will help you to appoint a Minister, religious or non-religious to Officiate on the day. We will also discuss with you the option of visiting our Chapel of Rest to spend time with your loved one, and provide you with options regarding clothing.
If you have any specific requests, we will endeavour to exceed your expectations to ensure your loved ones Funeral is carried out with dignity, respect and dedication to their life.
We offer a selection of Funeral Packages to suit the varying needs of our clients starting with our Direct Cremation or Burial packages for those who do not wish to attend or hold a ceremony, and extending to our Gold packages for those who do wish to attend and hold a ceremony at the Crematorium, Cemetery or other venue.
