Bereavement

A medical cause of death certificate (MCCD) will be written up by a doctor who was involved in the care of your loved one, and cremation papers (if required) will need to be completed. These are legal documents signed by a doctor. We aim to have these prepared within three to five working days. However, in certain circumstances, such as a referral to the Coroners’ Office, this may take longer. A medical examiner will also be involved in the process.

The medical examiner is a senior doctor who works independently and has not been involved in any care. Their role is to ensure that the information contained on the medical cause of death certificate is correct. They will also make sure that referrals to the coroner are done in a timely and appropriate manner to avoid any delays.

The medical examiner will contact a designated family member by telephone to inform you of the cause of death and answer any questions you may have about the death certificate. You will also be asked if you have any concerns regarding your loved one’s care during their final illness.

Although he or she may not be able to answer all of your questions immediately, the medical examiner will advise you of sources of additional support or information.

Following a discussion with the medical examiner, the MCCD will be sent electronically to Surrey County Council Registration Service or Slough Registry Office (situated in the Curve, William Street, Slough SL1 1XY) dependent on where the death took place.

The bereavement officer will inform the registrar of the designated family member’s name and telephone number.

The registrar will then in turn contact that person to arrange an appointment. You may request as many death certificates as you require at a cost of £11 each.

The registrar will also ask for the name of your designated funeral director, as they will need to send a certificate for burial or cremation (known as the ‘green form’).

Occasionally, when the cause of death is uncertain, deaths have to be reported to the coroner.

The coroner may require a post-mortem and occasionally an inquest may take place. In such instances the coroner’s office, not the bereavement office, will issue the medical cause of death certificate.

If a post-mortem is to be carried out, there will be delay before the death certificate is issued. The bereavement officer will put you in touch with the coroner’s office, who will be able to give you more information and answer any questions you may have.

We recommend that people pay their last respects at the funeral directors’ chapel of rest.

However, it is possible to see a loved one in the mortuary viewing room. If you would like a viewing during normal working hours, please contact the mortuary team directly via the hospital switchboard. Appointments are usually available early afternoons.

Viewing outside normal working hours may only take place in exceptional circumstances and the ward / department should liaise with the mortuary technician on-call.

A chaplain may be contacted during normal working hours to accompany relatives and staff for a viewing. For out of hours and in exceptional cases only, arrangements should be made via the hospital switchboard.

The mortuary is a secure area and as such, no access is permitted if the deceased is a coroner’s case. Permission is required from the coroner before any viewing(s) can take place.

Any uncollected personal belongings will be kept safe in the bereavement office. Please call to make arrangements to collect.

Please note due to infection control policies and space, we are unable to hold onto patients property for longer than a month.

• The medical cause of death certificate
• Date and place of death and usual address
• Full name and surname (and maiden name if applicable)
• Date and place of birth
• Occupation
• Whether he or she was receiving a pension / allowance from public funds
• If the deceased was married or in a civil partnership the date of birth of the surviving spouse or civil partner
• If the deceased person was under 16 years of age, the full names and occupations of both father and mother will be required.

• A death certificate
• A certificate for burial or cremation (called the ‘green form’), giving permission for the body to be buried or to apply for the body to be cremated
• A certificate of registration of death (form BD8), issued for social security purposes if the person was on a state pension or benefits (read the information on the back, complete and return it, if it applies).

Both the Surrey County Council and Slough Borough Council’s Registration Services provide a free advisory service known as Tell Us Once when you register the death.

The Tell Us Once service notifies a number of different organisations, including central and local government, on your behalf, assisting with accessing additional benefits to which you may be entitled and providing information and advice about a range of services.

Slough Borough Council - Tell Us Once

Surrey County Council - Tell Us Once

Government website - Tell Us Once

Tell Us Once notifies the following organisations that the person has died. The list below can help guide you.

Local Authority

• Council Housing
• Housing Benefit
• Council Tax
• Council Tax Benefit
• Library Services
• Electoral Services
• Adult Services
• Children’s Services
• Authority owned equipment
• Blue Badges
• Concessionary travel

Identity and Passport Service

• UK Passport

DVLA

• Driving licence

Department for Work and Pensions

• Bereavement Benefit
• State Pension
• Pension Credit
• Attendance Allowance
• Disability Living Allowance
• Carer’s Allowance Employment and Support Allowance
• Incapacity Benefit
• Income Support
• Jobseeker’s Allowance

HM Revenue and Customs

• Working Tax Credit
• Child Tax Credit 
• Child Benefit

Items that may need to be returned:

• Pension / Benefit books
• National Insurance card
• Library Cards / Season tickets
• Blue badge
• Driving licence
• NHS Equipment on loan
• Passport

You can also contact the Stop Mail Service. This is free and will arrange for the person named to be taken off mailing lists in the UK. This will not stop official mailing - you will need to contact services yourself.

Registrar of Births, Death and Marriages Offices are located at the following locations. All are by appointment only Hours of opening: Monday to Friday 9am to 4.30pm

Camberley

Surrey Heath House, Knoll Road, Camberley GU15 3HD

Guildford

Artington House, 42 Portsmouth Road, Guildford GU2 4DZ

Leatherhead

The Mansion, 70 Church Street, Leatherhead KT22 8DP

Slough

The Curve, William Street, Slough SL1 1XY

Weybridge

Rylston, 81 Oatlands Drive, Weybridge KT13 9LN

The trust cannot recommend any particular funeral director.

The deceased may have left written instructions in their will or personal papers expressing their wishes regarding any funeral arrangements. They may also have spoken to the funeral director about their wishes months or weeks earlier.

Before any arrangements can be made the funeral director will need the certificate for burial or cremation (the ‘green form’), which the registrar will send you. The funeral director will contact the hospital and arrange to bring the deceased to their ‘Chapel of Rest’.

Details of local funeral directors can be found on yourfuneralchoice.com

You may be entitled to help with funeral costs if you receive certain benefits.

Please contact the Department of Work and Pensions Social Fund. Visit their website www.gov.uk for further information.

If the deceased wished and consented to donating their body, the death must still be registered and the ‘green form’ must be provided to the relevant authority, such as the medical / anatomy school. They will then arrange for the body to be collected.

How you might be feeling

Grief is very painful and affects people in different ways at different times. Individual experience is very personal and all feelings are valid.

You may experience many emotions: sadness, helplessness, anger, relief, shame, fear, guilt, numbness or find yourself reliving events. These are all normal emotions and your way of coming to terms with the particular circumstances of the death of someone close.

Sometimes these feelings can be overwhelming. Your GP will understand and may be able to put you in touch with a local support group.

Try to talk about what has happened with your family or close friends.

• Do not be afraid to accept offers of help making funeral arrangements, if that is what you want
• Do not be hurried into making decisions until you are ready – especially arranging the funeral
• Take care with any financial arrangements; if you do not understand something, get someone you trust to help you.
• The funeral director will help and advise you if you have a limited amount of money to spend on a funeral. Do not be afraid to let them know
• Take care of yourself – eat properly and try to rest
• Your family doctor (GP) is there to help – do not be afraid to contact them
• Your local religious or faith community may be of help even if you are not a practising member
• Take your time adjusting to life before making any major changes
• Remember – everyone grieves differently and for different lengths of time. All sorts of mixed feelings and emotions are normal when they have been bereaved
• Remember that children also experience similar feelings and may need to share in the grief process.

The hospital’s chaplaincy team and pastoral care are available to listen to you and to be of service.

If you would like to speak to a minister of a particular religion, but do not know how to arrange it, please contact our chaplains who are happy to help.

The chaplaincy team are also on call out of hours and can be contacted via switchboard, whether you have a religious faith or prefer your own views and values.

Who can I speak to if I have questions about the care or treatment in hospital of the person who died?

The first person to speak to is the doctor who was most involved in the day to day care of the person who died or the nurse in charge on the ward. They will try to answer your questions. Every patient is under the care of a consultant and if you still have questions or concerns, a meeting is sometimes helpful.

If this is wanted please speak to the ward staff, PALS or the bereavement office who can help to arrange this for you.

PALS (Patient Advice and Liaison Service) is an impartial, confidential and friendly service that can guide you through different services at the Trust. PALS can help you with advice, support and practical information at a time when you are feeling confused or anxious. 

Cruse

0808 808 1677
helpline@cruse.org.uk
www.cruse.org.uk

Citizens Advice Bureau

0344 411 1306
www.citizensadvice.org.uk

Age UK

0800 169 2081
www.ageuk.org.uk

Samaritans

116 123 (freephone)
www.samaritans.org 

WAY Widowed and Young

For anyone who's lost a partner before the age of 51
www.widowedandyoung.org.uk

The Compassionate Friends

0345 123 2304
www.tcf.org.uk

Asian Family Counselling Service

0208 574 0912
www.asianfamilycounselling.org

Switchboard LGBTQIA+ support

0300 330 0630
www.switchboard.lgbt

Survivors of Bereavement by Suicide

0300 111 5065
www.uksobs.org

Humanists UK

0207 324 3060
www.humanists.uk

Daisy’s Dream - supporting bereaved children

0118 934 2604
info@daisysdream.org.uk
www.daisysdream.org.uk