What happens when somebody dies
We understand how difficult it can be when someone close to us dies. The feelings of shock, sadness, loss and bewilderment can be very strong. It is also a time when there are many things to be done, just when we may feel least able to do them.
The Coroner’s Office will do all they can to help you during this time.
The Bereavement Advice Centre supports and advises people on what they need to do after a death.
What do I do if someone dies suddenly?
The first thing to do is contact your GP or the local police.
The police can act for the Coroner and arrange for a local funeral director to move the deceased if they need to.
In most cases the deceased’s own doctor or a hospital doctor will be able to give a medical cause of death. If the death happens at night or at a weekend there may be a delay in contacting the deceased’s GP.
Why are the police involved?
In some cases, the police act as Coroner’s Officers. It is not always possible for an officer to be in plain clothes, so they may be in uniform. In this case, he or she will not be acting as a police officer. A full-time Coroner’s Officer may also attend.
A visit by the police should not make anybody think there is anything suspicious about the death.
The purpose of the visit is to get all the information that the Coroner needs to conduct their enquiries. They will also make sure they have the correct personal information to give to the Registrar.
You will have a named Coroner’s Officer and the phone number for the Coroner’s office. They will be able to answer any questions you may have.
The duties of a Coroner’s Officer are:
- to act as the representative of the Coroner in the investigation of any death
- to gather all the circumstances surrounding the death of an individual
- to attend some scenes of death including out of hours on a callout basis
- to liaise with the family about the procedures involved in the conduct of the Coroner’s inquiry
- to contact the Coroner on your behalf (if you want them to)
- to guide you through the time leading up to an Inquest if one is necessary, and
- to liaise with the witnesses about their involvement in the Inquest.
What if a post mortem is required?
If the Coroner needs a post-mortem examination, they will choose a pathologist. The pathologist will often be independent from the hospital trust. The coroner’s officer will discuss this with you and give you all the details.
What happens if the deceased wished to be an organ donor?
If the deceased wanted to donate their organs or tissue, you need to ask the Coroner if they have any objections. They will get the relevant information from medical staff and decide whether to object to donation.
The Coroner is very keen to support organ donation and to follow the wishes of the person who has died. They must also make sure that any donation will not interfere with the duty to investigate the cause of death. In some cases, the Coroner will not be able to give permission.
Why are organs sometimes removed from the body of the deceased and what happens to these?
Sometimes the pathologist must carry out a more detailed investigation of particular organs to find out the cause of death. If this happens then the pathologist will tell the Coroner how long they need to keep the organs for. The Coroner will tell the family of this and ask them what they wish to happen to the organs at the end of that period.
Usually, the pathologist only needs to take a very small sample of an organ, rather than removing the whole organ. This sample then forms part of the deceased’s medical records.
More information is available from the Human Tissue Authority.
When can I get a death certificate or interim death certificate?
When the doctor gives the Coroner a cause of death, the doctor and the Coroner will notify the Registrar of the death. This usually happens within 24 hours.
You can then book an appointment to register the death.
You will not be able to get a full death certificate if the Coroner has decided to hold an inquest or is waiting for results (such as tissue analysis). You can get the full death certificate after the inquest or investigation finishes.
If you need proof that someone has died, you can ask the Coroner to give you an Interim Certificate as to the Fact of Death (Interim Death Certificate). This can help you deal with banks, insurance companies and other places that need official proof.
You can take the interim certificate to a register office or email it to registrar@eastsussex.gov.uk to use the Tell Us Once service.
The interim certificate is not a death certificate. You can order the death certificate from the register office later. Order a death certificate.
