Bereavement Centre

The medical certificate of death will be emailed to the Register Office. They will then contact the next of kin to register the death over the telephone.

In certain circumstances, the Registrar may be unable to issue a death certificate without further information from the doctor who certified the death.

The Registrar may also be required to inform the Coroner. This then becomes a matter for the Coroner's Officer who will contact you directly.

If either case arises, the Registrar will inform you and give further advice.

The individual registering the death must be involved with the funeral arrangements and provide the following about the deceased:

• The date and place of death, and the deceased's usual address
• All first names and surname, including maiden name
• The date and place of birth
• Their occupation
• Whether or not the deceased was in receipt of a pension or allowance from public funds
• If the deceased was married, the date of birth of any surviving partner

How to find the Register Office

Rotherham Registrar's Office
Riverside House
Main Street
Rotherham
S60 1AE

Telephone: 01709 823542 (option 2)

When the death is registered

The Registrar will issue:

• A white form (no charge) for you to notify the Department of Work and Pensions
• A green form (no charge) to be given to the Funeral Director
• Death certificate (there will be a cost)

These forms and certificates will be emailed to the relevant party.

Copies of the death certificate can be requested at the time of issue. There is a charge per copy. Death certificates may be required for insurance purposes, premium bonds, bank accounts or pensions. If you are unsure whether you need further copies, the Registrar will advise you. Photocopies are not always accepted by the various agencies you will be contacting.

You will be given an envelope which contains a green form. This should be handed to your chosen Funeral Director so they can make the necessary arrangements for burial or cremation. For cremations, the Funeral Director will collect the appropriate forms from the hospital.

It is essential that you contact a Funeral Director of your choice as soon as possible. You are advised to do this even if the death certificate has not been issued.

Coroners are independent judicial officers who investigate someone’s death.

Circumstances where a coroner is involved include:

• no doctor attended the deceased during his or her last illness
• although a doctor attended during the last illness the deceased was not seen within 14 days before the death
• the cause of death appears to be unknown
• the death occurred during an operation or before recovery from the effects of an anaesthetic
• the death was due to an industrial accident, disease or poisoning
• the death was sudden or unexpected • the death was unnatural
• the death was due to violence or neglect • the death was in other suspicious circumstances
• the death occurred in prison or police custody.

The Coroner's Officer

Doncaster Crown Court
College Road
Doncaster
DN1 3HS

Telephone: 01302 737137
General Office: 01302 737135

Coroner's post-mortem

Coroner’s post-mortems are carried out by law and therefore permission from relatives or next-of-kin is not needed.

If you wish, you can be represented at the post-mortem examination by a doctor of your choice (there may be a charge for this).

Please call the Coroner’s Office who will advise you further.

Hospital post-mortem

Hospital post-mortems are not needed by law but are requested by doctors or the next-of-kin when they need or want more information regarding the illness.

The results can give families and doctors a better understanding of the cause of death and may help prevent similar deaths happening in the future.

The doctors have to ask your permission to perform a hospital post-mortem and if you agree you will be asked to sign a consent form.

There is also an option to consent to a ‘limited post-mortem’. Your doctor will explain the difference.

The deceased’s body will be kept in the hospital mortuary until arrangements have been finalised with your funeral director.

Unfortunately, we are currently unable to offer viewings.

We recommend that you contact your chosen funeral home who will be able to provide you with further information on viewings.

The funeral director will receive the certificate of burial or cremation from the registrar by email. This will enable you to make arrangements for the funeral.

The funeral director will arrange with the hospital to transfer your loved one to their mortuary.

Burials abroad

If the person is to be buried outside of England and Wales (this includes Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland), the funeral director will be able to help you make arrangements.

When you register the death, you will need to obtain at least two certified copies of the death certificate (some consulates and embassies require more). You need to give the copies to your funeral director who will then obtain an ‘Out of England Certificate’.

Funeral costs

You may be entitled to help with funeral costs if you receive certain social security benefits. Help and advice can be obtained from the Department for Work and Pensions or Citizens Advice.

Legal and financial

• Bank or Building Society
• Insurance companies
• Credit card companies
• Solicitor

Employment and pension

• Job Centre Plus
• Employer
• Trade union
• HMRC

Domestic and personal

• TV licensing
• DVLA
• Gas, water and electricity providers
• Council
• Telephone and broadband providers
• Regular deliveries, including milk and newspapers
• Royal Mail
• Clubs and associations
• Rental companies
• Cancel appointments

Items that may need returning

• Pension book
• Passport
• Driving licence
• National Insurance card
• NHS equipment on loan
• Library card and season tickets

It maybe helpful to have another adult with you who can support you all if needed.

Choose a familiar and quiet area where you can speak privately and give your child your full attention without distractions. Try to avoid bedtimes if at all possible.

When talking to children about death it is helpful to find time as soon as possible after the death. Give the child the facts in a simple manner, using appropriate words such as dead and death rather than lost or sleeping. Give the child permission to ask questions.

It is helpful for adults to share feelings of sadness with children. By doing this children will learn that it is usual to cry when someone dies, and they will know that it is natural for them to cry too.

Your friends

As well as feeling grieved and sad, you may also feel guilt, panic, fear, self-pity and anger, even at the deceased. If you do feel these emotions, you may feel you should hide them. It would be better to find someone with whom you can share these feelings openly and honestly.

You may also find yourself feeling hurt and convinced your friends are avoiding you. Unfortunately they don’t know what to say or how to approach you, so, they may need some help from you. Go to them and show them you want to be open with them.

Your health

You may also feel mentally tired, physically run down, and find it difficult to sleep, or eat and so on. Again, these physical symptoms are not uncommon, but if they carry on make an appointment to see your doctor.

Your doctor may also be able to help you if you have unanswered questions about the death of the person you loved.

The future

Don’t make any hasty decisions about the future. It’s sometimes very tempting to feel that life would be more bearable if you could move house, or quickly dispose of possessions, or refuse to see people. This only makes things worse in the long run.

Though painful, these emotions are better faced head on, rather than swept under the carpet.

Remember, grief is a very individual process and each of us reacts differently. Don’t feel that you are abnormal if your grief doesn’t seem to follow the general pattern. If you want to cry, cry. If you can’t don’t worry about it. Equally, if you want to laugh, laugh.

Over time, people do usually adjust to their loss with the support of family or friends.

However, if you have no support at home you may wish to talk to someone. You might consider contacting:

• Your GP
• Your District nurse
• Your Minister/Priest or Spiritual Leader
• Hospital Chaplaincy

Children’s bereavement services

Child Bereavement UK

Provide support for bereaved children and their family.
0800 02 888 40
www.childbereavementuk.org

SANDS (Stillbirth & Neo-Natal Death Society)

Providing support for parents and families whose baby is stillborn or dies soon after birth.
020 7436 5881
www.sands.org.uk

Winston’s Wish

Provide support and guidance to bereaved children, young people and their families.
0845 20 30 40 5
www.winstonswish.org.uk

Adult bereavement services

Age UK

Combines Age Concern and Help the Aged.
0800 169 2081
www.ageuk.org.uk

Compassionate Friends

Support bereaved parents.
0345 123 2304
www.tcf.org.uk

Cruse Bereavement Care

Provide counselling, support and advice to bereaved people.
0844 477 9400
www.cruse.org.uk

Macmillan Cancer Support

0808 808 0000
www.macmillan.org.uk

Samaritans

Samaritans offer confidential support around the clock to anyone that wants to talk through their problems.
Call 116 123 for free
Email: jo@samaritans.org
www.samaritans.org

WAY Widowed and Young

For men and women aged 50 or under when their partner has died.
www.widowedandyoung.org.uk