Midland Metropolitan University Hospital Bereavement Support Book
Introduction
We would like to express our sympathy for the sad loss of your loved one. Whether their death happened suddenly or was expected, it will be a shock to you.
When someone dies there are a number of practical things that will need to be done. The aim of this booklet is to give you important information and advice so that you know what needs to be done and can make informed choices without feeling overwhelmed.
Please be reassured that there is help available should you require it.
Medical Certificate of Cause of Death (MCCD)
When someone dies, a legal document called a Medical Certificate of Cause of Death (MCCD) needs to be completed. It is usually completed by a doctor who has been caring for your relative or friend.
Family and friends are advised to contact our Certificate office after 11.00am on the first working day after the death has occurred to discuss what happens next.
When you call, we will advise you on the role of the Medical Examiner and when the completed certificate is ready to be sent to the Registration Service.
During this initial call it would be very useful if you could tell us whether you will be having a cremation or a burial for your relative or friend so that our doctors can complete the correct paperwork.
You may get an answer machine message if the certificate office staff are already taking calls, please leave your name, telephone contact details and the name of the person who has died. The staff will return your call as soon as they are able to do so.
Tel: 0121 507 3464
Monday – Friday, 8.00am – 4.30pm (Closed on bank holidays and weekends)
You will be invited to take any belongings or valuables home that remain at the bedside or in the clinical area where your relative or friend died. If any items have been recorded as being entered into our general office, please collect them from the office situated in the Welcome Centre on Level 5.
Medical Examiner Service
The Medical Examiner Service is a statutory system for independently reviewing all non-coronial deaths and approving the proposed cause of death to be documented on the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death (MCCD).
This service consists of senior medical doctors and qualified medical examiner officers that are independent from the care your relative or friend received. They are trained in the legal and clinical elements on the death certification process.
The nominated next of kin will receive a telephone call from the medical examiner or medical examiner officer to discuss the provisional cause of death. There will also be an opportunity to ask any questions that you may have or to comment on the care your relative or friend received whilst in hospital. They may also ask you questions related to medical implantable devices.
Following this telephone conversation, the medical examiner team will liaise with the treating doctor and request completion of the certificate.
On completion, the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death (MCCD) will be sent electronically to the register office, therefore you will not be required to attend the hospital to collect this. Your contact details will be provided to the registrars for them to contact you with an appointment date and time to attend.
The nominated next of kin are required to register a death within 5 days from the date the Medical Examiner has approved the certificate and is sent to registration services (unless the death has been reported to the coroner).
If the death has been referred to the coroner, a coroner’s officer will contact you and will advise what will happen next.
Tel: 0121 507 3473
Monday – Friday, 8.00am – 4.00pm
If the rapid release of your relative or friend from our care has been requested, an on call Medical Examiner is available between the hours of 9.00am – midday on weekends and bank holidays (excluding Christmas Day).
www.gov.uk/when-someone-dies
Registering the death
Once you have been informed of the completion of the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death, you will be able to register your relative/friend’s death. The legal requirement is for the death to be registered within 5 days from the date the certificate was approved by the Medical Examiner and sent to the Registration Service (unless the death has been reported to the coroner).
The registration office will contact you to book an appointment time and date to attend. The registration will take place in the district Registrar’s Office where the death has occurred, irrespective of where the person lived.
At the time you register the death you will receive:
Certificate for Burial or Cremation (Green form)
This form will be emailed by the Registrars direct to a funeral director of your choice on the day of registration. This form gives permission for the body to be buried or for an application to be made for cremation.
If the deceased is to be buried or cremated outside of England or Wales, the Coroner will issue the necessary forms
Death Certificates
A death certificate is a certified copy of the entry of death in the register. There is no charge to register a death, but you will need at least one certified copy of the death certificate. This can be obtained at the time of registration or anytime afterwards for a cost of £12:50 each. Card payments are preferred.
You may require a certified death certificate for:
Banks/ Building Societies
Private or Personal Pensions
Life Insurance/ Insurance Claims
Solicitors/ Probate
Financial Contracts and Agreements
Premium Bonds, National Savings, Shares
The registration appointment will take approximately 45 minutes
Please provide the following information for your relative/friend:
Date and place of death and usual address
Details of their wife or husband or civil partner
Their full name and surname and maiden name if they ever married
Date and place of birth
Occupation and occupation of spouse or civil partner if appropriate
Please note you should have an appointment to register the death before attending.
Telephone enquiries can be made during the following times:
8.00am - 5.30pm Monday - Thursday
8.00am - 5.00pm Friday
Parking - There is limited parking available at Sandwell Register Office. However there are several ‘pay and display’ car parks adjacent to the building.
Urgent registration of a death
An out of hours death registration and burial service is available for families who need to register a death so that an urgent burial can take place either at a weekend or a Bank Holiday.
The opening hours for the ‘out of hours’ service is 9.00am until 1.00pm on Saturdays, Sundays and Bank Holidays (excluding Christmas Day).
The out of hours death registration service is available by calling 07810 152159.
Tell Us Once
When someone dies, there can often be several Government Departments and agencies to notify.
The Tell Us Once Service can be accessed via the Registrar at your registration appointment or they will give you a unique reference number so you can access the service yourself online or by telephone
By phone – 0800 085 7308
Online – by accessing www.gov.uk/after-a-death
Who do I need to tell?
You will probably want to let the family, friends and neighbours know of the death right away. There are several other people who may also need to know:
Priest, Vicar, Minister or Faith Leader
Family Doctor Department for Work and Pensions (pensions, benefits etc)
Bank, Giro, Credit Cards, Building Society
Social Services (home helps, home care)
Schools, College or University attended
Place of work (occupational pension)
Executors of the Estate (Will)
Solicitor
Insurance Companies
Library Service
Inland Revenue
Residential or Nursing Home
Landlord, Housing Department
Council Tax Office
Electricity, Gas, Telephone, TV Licence or streaming services, Water Companies
Post Office (redirect mail)
Driving Licence Centre (D.V.L.A.)
Careline
Cancel any appointments
Sandwell Joint Equipment Store for the return of any equipment 0121 569 3670
Sample Letters
Here is an example of a letter that you may find useful when informing people about the death:
[Your Name] [Your Address] [Your Postal Code] [Your Telephone Number]
Date:
[Name to whom you are writing]
[Department] [Company] [Road] [City]
[Postal Code]
Dear Sir/Madam
I wish to inform you of the death of [name of deceased and date of birth].
Please find enclosed with this letter the documentation/ papers which need to be returned to you.
[Name of deceased] died at [hospital name or home address] on [date].
If you require any further information, please contact me at the above address.
Yours faithfully
[Your name] Encs
Referral to the coroner
A death sometimes has to be referred to the coroner for legal reasons, our staff will advise you if this is to happen.
The coroner is appointed to investigate certain types of death which may include:
If no precise cause of death can be established.
It follows an operation, or if it is possible that it could be due to a complication of surgery or anaesthetic.
It is not thought to be from natural causes.
If it is due to an injury or a fall, however it happened, or if an accident or negligence is alleged.
When a death is reported to the coroner’s office, the coroner will decide if a doctor can issue the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death (from either the hospital or community/GP practice depending on the place of death) or whether there will be a post mortem.
You will be contacted by a coroner’s liaison officer who will support you throughout the time of the coroner’s involvement.
Coroner’s post mortem /digital autopsy
The coroner may order a digital autopsy (full body scan) or a post mortem examination to determine the exact cause of death, but not all referrals result in an examination. The post mortem is usually performed within the hospital.
If the coroner orders a post mortem it becomes a legal obligation; therefore, permission from relatives/friends is not needed, although you will be informed.
Once the results of the examination are known, if an inquest is not required, documentation will be issued directly to the Register office and the coroner’s office will advise you to make an appointment to register the death.
Black Country Coroner Service
Jack Judge House, Halesowen Street, Oldbury, B69 2AJ
Tel: 0121 569 7200
Monday to Wednesday 8.00am - 4.00pm, Thursday 9.00am - 4.00pm and Friday 8.00am - 3.30pm.
Hospital post mortem
Hospital post mortems are not needed by law but may be requested by doctors or the next of kin when they need more information regarding the death. This can help families/ friends and doctors understand the cause of death and may help others with a similar illness in the future.
The doctors have to ask your permission to perform a hospital post mortem and you will be asked to sign a consent form if you agree.
Care After Death
After your relative/friend has died they will be cared for by staff at the hospital just as respectfully as when they were alive.
Viewing Arrangements
When a death has occurred within the hospital, you can either see your relative/friend at the hospital or you may wish to wait until they are transferred to your chosen funeral directors.
We have a bereavement viewing room at the Midland Metropolitan University Hospital. If you wish to see your relative/friend, you can do so by an appointment only basis by contacting the mortuary team on Tel: 0121 507 4259
The mortuary staff will agree a time to view your relative/ friend and give you directions to the bereavement viewing room which can be accessed from Level 0 in the multistorey public car park at the front of the hospital (see map illustration).
On arrival at the hospital public car park entrance, please take a car park ticket and press the button at the barrier to inform our car park staff of your bereavement room viewing appointment. They will request your car registration plate number and guide you to our reserved named car park spaces – Blossom & Jasmine which are near to the bereavement viewing room entrance door.
On leaving you will receive a pre-paid car park exit ticket to insert at the exit barrier.
Viewings can be arranged from 9.30am - midday and 2.00pm - 3.30pm Monday to Friday.
Viewing your relative on a Saturday and Sunday:
Viewing over the weekend is only possible under exceptional circumstances. There are limited appointments for viewing over a weekend; each family will be allocated one viewing appointment.
Please liaise with your whole family to arrange a viewing so that anyone who wants to view will be able to do so.
It is essential that close family/friends are able to use the limited weekend appointments, therefore extended family and friends are more than welcome to view between our Monday to Friday hours.
Viewings by appointment on a weekend will take place between 9.00am and 7.00pm.
You can arrange a viewing appointment at a weekend by calling 0121 553 1831, you will be put through to a duty hospital manager who will arrange your viewing if it is possible.
Tissue donation
Tissue donation can dramatically improve the quality of life for some individuals who are desperately in need. Tissue donation is entirely voluntary and is dependent on the wishes of the nominated next of kin.
Tissues that can be donated include:
Eye (corneal) transplantation can restore sight to people with problems caused by eye disease, injury or conditions present at birth
Heart valves can save the lives of children born with heart defects, as well as adults with damaged heart valves
Skin can treat people with serious burns or wounds
Bones can help those undergoing orthopedic (bone) surgery who have had bone removed due to illness or injury
Tendons can be used to help rebuild damaged joints and restore movement
Age and medical condition are not necessarily a barrier to donation.
Tissue donation is possible if your relative or friend has died within 24-48 hours. Our aim is to support the individual’s wishes to be a tissue donor following death.
Contacting the funeral director
You can contact a funeral director whenever you are ready, they are available 24 hours a day including weekends. Your chosen funeral director can make all the necessary arrangements including any wishes or preferences the person who died had. They can also advise you on the procedures and documents you will need as well as the timing of the funeral service.
They will answer any questions you may have on burial or cremation.
Your own faith leader and the Hospital Chaplaincy Service (Tel: 0121 507 4916) may also be of great help during this difficult time.
Most funeral directors belong to the National Association of Funeral Directors (NAFD) and/or the National Society of Allied and independent Funeral directors (SAIF). These associations have their own codes of practice that must be followed to ensure consistent levels of service and standards.
Funeral costs
Funerals are expensive although basic costs tend to be similar. However, the final cost can vary considerably. Do not be afraid to mention your budget or obtain estimates from several funeral directors or speak to your local council’s bereavement services team who will share with you information about more affordable funeral options that may be available to you.
Financial help may be available if you receive certain benefits. For advice on claiming the Funeral Expenses Payment please contact the Bereavement Service helpline on Tel: 0800 151 2012 or download the form from:
www.gov.uk/bereavement-support-payment
Making your own funeral arrangements
You can also arrange a funeral without the help of a funeral director; information can be sourced from local cemeteries and the crematorium department of your local authority. Information can also be found from the Natural Death Centre www.naturaldeath.org.uk, helpline: 01962 712690
Out of England Funerals
If a person dies within the Black Country and you would like to move their body out of England, you will need to request the coroner to sign a completed Out of England form (Form 103). Your nominated funeral director will be able to explain the process.
There is no restriction on moving a body within England or Wales.
On a Saturday, Sunday or Bank Holiday it is only possible to obtain permission from the coroner to take a body out of the country if the death has been registered and a death certificate issued.
Sandwell out of hours registration opening hours: 9.00am until 1.00pm Every weekend and Bank Holiday excluding Christmas Day
The coroner is available on weekends and Bank Holidays to respond to Out of England requests between 10.00am and 1.00pm, excluding Christmas Day.
How to apply
You need to apply to get probate. Before applying, you will need to check:
That probate is needed
That you are eligible to apply
If there is Inheritance Tax to be paid
For further information please refer to the gov.uk websites: For Probate:
www.gov.uk/applying-for-probate or help and advice please contact the Courts and Tribunals Service Centre
Telephone: 0300 303 0648
Monday to Friday 9.00am to 1.00pm Closed on Bank Holidays
Monday to Friday, 09:00am to 5:00pm Closed on Bank Holidays
Useful Contact Details
Age UK
Offers advice, information and services for older people, their families, friends and carers
Tel: 0800 678 1602
8.00am to 7.00pm 365days a year
www.ageuk.org.uk
Bereavement Advice Centre
Advises people on what they need to do after a death
Tel: 0800 634 9494
9.00am to 5.00pm Monday to Friday, closed Bank Holidays
www.bereavementadvice.org
Bereavement Support Network
A national organisation that offers on all aspects of bereavement
Tel: 0808 168 9607
www.bereavementsupport.co.uk
Citizens Advice
National network of advice centres offering free confidential and independent advice
Tel: 0800 144 8848
9.00am to 5.00pm Monday to Friday, closed Bank Holidays
www.citizensadvice.org.uk
Your City & Metropolitan Hospitals
Charity
Your donation to our Palliative and End of Life Care Services Charity will mean so much to our staff, patients and their families.
Donating to our charity will mean we can continue to support local people facing a terminal or life limiting illness and their families.
Some of the services that your donation will support are:
Training events for our workforce
Comfort care boxes
Staff supervision sessions
Activities within our Day Hospice, including complimentary therapies
Equipment to use at home i.e. nebuliser machines
Bereavement events
This publication has been jointly developed between ourselves and the hospital. We hope that it has been or will be of help at this time and we welcome any comments or suggestions that you may have.
Please contact us either by phone, email or by post.
