When someone dies: A practical guide for family and friends

Certifying and registering a death and coping with grief

Information for family and friends

• This guide answers common questions about what happens when someone dies.
• If you would like further information, or have any worries, please contact:
  • The Medical Examiner on 020 7288 5680 (Monday to Friday 8am to 4pm) or
  • The Mortuary Department on 020 7288 5330/3119 (Monday to Friday 9am to 3.30pm).

What happens to the person who has died?

• After someone dies, they can stay on the ward for a short period of time to allow for visitors to spend some time with them.
• After this time, the person who has died will be cared for in the hospital mortuary.
• Our compassionate team will keep them safe and ensure they are treated with dignity and respect until they are transferred into the care of your funeral director.

Can I visit the person who has died at the mortuary?

• Our mortuary does not have a viewing facility.
• This means you will not be able to view the person who has died after they have been moved from the ward to the mortuary.
• Please speak to your chosen funeral director about viewing arrangements.

What is the process after someone has died at the hospital?

• The medical notes will be reviewed by the duty Medical Examiner, an independent Doctor who makes sure that the correct next steps are taken.
• This will include talking with the doctors caring for the person who has died (attending doctors).
• The Medical Examiner office will contact you by telephone to explain the cause of death.
• You can ask them questions and explore any concerns you may have about the care received.
• They will then talk you through the next steps.
• This will usually take place the following working day (Monday to Friday).
• If the cause of death is natural and a doctor is available, the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death (MCCD) will be completed.
• The hospital will email this directly to Islington Town Hall. You do not need to pick up any paperwork from the hospital for registration.
• Please allow up to five days for this process to take place.
• Once the MCCD has been sent to the town hall, we will inform you that a registration appointment can be booked.
• If you would like to check on the status of the MCCD, please call the Medical Examiner office on:
  • 020 7288 5680 (Monday to Friday 8am to 4pm) or email whh-tr.medicalexaminer@nhs.net
• Once you have been informed that you can book your registration appointment, you can do this with an online form: https://www.islington.gov.uk/birth-death-marriage-and-citizenship/register-a-death
• You will be given the option to select a time for the registration to take place.
• You must then attend the appointment in person at Islington Town Hall.
• If you do not have access to the internet, please contact the Mortuary Team who can advise you further on 020 7288 5330/3119 (Monday to Friday 9am to 3.30pm).
• Sometimes after a death our clinical team might need to answer some important questions about how or why the person died.
• This means a referral to the Coroner. If this happens then the process for registering the person’s death will be different.
• The Mortuary Team will be able to keep you updated with the coronal process.
• You can read more about Coroners here: https://innernorthlondoncoroner.org/information/about-this-service/

What if I need an urgent death certificate out of hours or in special circumstances?

• Some faiths require the deceased to be buried as soon as possible after death.
• Here at Whittington Health, we will support this as far as it is legal and practical.
• During office hours this will be arranged through the Medical Examiner and Mortuary Teams. Please contact them as soon as possible.
• During the weekends and bank holidays this is coordinated by the Duty Site Manager who can be contacted via our main switchboard on 020 7272 3070.
• To do this, we need to make sure that:
  • The death does not require referral to the Coroner.
  • A Doctor who attended the deceased is available to issue a Medical Certificate of Cause Of Death.
  • The funeral is being arranged for that weekend or bank holiday.
  • It is not possible to arrange repatriations during weekends or bank holidays.

The following websites may be of use during the funeral planning process:

Funeral Choice
https://www.yourfuneralchoice.com
National Association of Funeral Directors
https://www.nafd.org.uk/
National Society of Allied and Independent Funeral Directors
https://saif.org.uk
Government assistance with funeral costs
Funeral expenses payment, where eligibility rules apply: www.gov.uk/funeral-payments

Coping with grief

• When someone close to you dies, you may feel that the pain of losing them will never go away..
• During this difficult time, you must remember to be kind to yourself.
• Please try to get lots of rest and remember to eat properly even if you do not feel like it.
• Don’t feel embarrassed to show your feelings.
• Allow yourself to grieve openly - Talking about what has happened and how you are feeling can be helpful.
• You may find someone within your family, a friend, or a support group, with whom you feel safe to express your emotions.
• It is also very important to keep in touch with the people in your life who you care about, even though you may not feel like seeing them straight away.
• Try not to make any important decisions during this grieving period.
• When you feel ready, you can begin to make plans for your future, then start to move forward with your life, at your own pace and in your own time.
• Your GP will be able to help if you are experiencing physical symptoms. They will also be able to refer you to the appropriate person/people to support you psychologically.
• St Joseph’s Hospice offer a bereavement service which is open to residents of Islington, Camden, Haringey and Hackney. Their number is 0300 303 0400.

Useful contacts

Age UK www.ageuk.org.uk - Offers support for older people. Tel: 0800 055 6112.

Asian family counselling service www.asianfamilycounselling.org - Counselling for the south Asian community. Tel: 020 8574 0912 (London) or 0121 454 1130 (Birmingham).

Chai cancer care www.chaicancercare.org - Support for any member of the Jewish community affected by cancer. Tel: 0808 808 4567.

The compassionate friends www.tcf.org.uk - Supporting bereaved parents and their families. Tel: 0345 123 2304. Email: helpline@tcf.org.uk

Cruse bereavement support www.cruse.org.uk - Trained volunteers who can offer emotional and practical support. Tel: 0808 808 1677.

Good Grief Trust - provides vital resources for people experiencing bereavement. Email: www.thegoodgrieftrust.org

Jewish bereavement counselling service www.jbcs.org.uk - Bereavement counselling for the Jewish community. Tel: 0208 951 3881. Email: enquiries@jbcs.org.uk

Samaritans www.samaritans.org - 24 Hour emotional support available to anyone. Tel: 116 123.

St Joseph’s Hospice. Bereavement service open to residents of Islington, Camden, Haringey and Hackney. Tel: 0300 303 0400.

Switchboard www.switchboard.lgbt - National LGBTQIA+ Support Line. Tel: 0800 0119 100.

Dedicated support for bereaved children

Child bereavement UK www.childbereavementuk.org - Support for children who are grieving, or for those who are grieving a child. Tel: 0800 02 888 40.

Child death helpline www.childdeathhelpline.org.uk - Support for those affected by the death of a child. Tel: 0800 282 986.

Childline www.childline.org.uk - Support for all children. Tel: 0800 1111.

Winston’s Wish www.winstonswish.org - Support for grieving children, teenagers, and young adults up to the age of 25. Tel: 08088 020 021. Email: ask@winstonswish.org

Feedback

• We are committed to providing an effective, individualised, compassionate, and sensitive service.
• We appreciate feedback, which can be given through the avenues described below.
• As part of the 'National Audit of Care at the End of Life' you may be invited to give feedback about your experience of care through a survey.
• This survey is independent from the hospital - however, anonymised feedback is shared with the trust.
• If you would like to talk to the doctor or healthcare professional who was in charge of the care of the person who has died, this can be arranged. Please contact the ward where they were cared for.
• If any issues are identified regarding the care or treatment of the deceased person, the trust governance team will be in contact with you as the key contact.
• If you have a compliment, complaint or concern, these can be discussed with the Medical Examiner Team.
• Alternatively you can contact our Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) on 020 7288 5551 or whh-tr.PALS@nhs.net.

Contact our services

Mortuary Team Tel.: 020 7288 5330/3119 (Monday to Friday 9am to 3.30pm)
Medical Examiner Service Tel.: 020 7288 5680 (Monday to Friday 8am to 4pm) Email: whh-tr.medicalexaminer@nhs.net