Family Funeral Directors Petts Wood

If the death is expected and occurs at home: 

• Contact the deceased’s doctor and inform them of the death
• Once the doctor has given permission to move the deceased, you may contact us and we will aim to be with you within 1-2 hours, to move the person who has died into our care
• The doctor will issue the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death to the family representative for registration purposes

If the death occurs at a Nursing Home:

• If a resident dies in a nursing home the GP (or qualified nurse on duty) can verify death 
• The GP will issue a medical certificate for the family to collect which will allow them to register
• Most nursing homes will record the resident’s funeral wishes on their care plan. This will specify the chosen Funeral Director and whether the deceased wanted a cremation or a burial. 
• Once called, we will remove the deceased into our care

If the death occurs in Hospital:

• If death occurs at the hospital, then the Doctors and Nurses will liaise with the hospital Bereavement Office, who will arrange all the appropriate paperwork on your behalf. 

In cases of sudden and unexpected death:

• If a death is unexpected then dial 999 and request an ambulance and police immediately, explaining the circumstances. In the event of an unexpected death occurring, then a coroner may become involved and may order a post-mortem to be carried out to establish an accurate cause of death. The coroner’s officer will keep you informed should this be the case and will liaise with us.