What happens when my loved one dies?
In the unfortunate event that a person has passed away, there are some things that must be done in the first few days, this includes registering the death and arranging a funeral.
Register the death
In most cases your loved one will have died in hospital or at home in circumstances that a doctor will be able to issue a Medical Certificate of Cause of Death.
There will be some cases when this will not be possible and so the death of your loved one will be referred to the coroner. Dulais Valley Primary Care Centre works with Coroners in Swansea, when a person has died within Swansea and Neath Port Talbot area, and with South Wales Central Coroner’s Service, when a person has died within Powys area. In this unusual situation the coroner’s team will liaise with you about when and how to register the death of your loved one.
If your loved one has died in a hospital within Swansea Bay Area the Care After Death team will talk to you about registering the death and will help you to talk with the Medical Examiner.
If your loved one has died at home the GPs will talk to you about what they believe caused the death and will discuss this with the Medical Examiner. The Medical Examiner will also talk with you about the recent death or your loved one.
You can make an appointment with the registrar after you have spoken to the Medical Examiner.
If your loved one has died in Swansea Bay area you should make an appointment with the Swansea registrar.
If they died in Neath Port Talbot area you should make an appointment with the Neath Port Talbot registrar.
If they died in Powys area you should make an appointment with the Powys registrar.
You can register the death if you are a relative, a witness to the death, or the person making the arrangements with the funeral directors.
What is the Medical Examiner?
The Medical Examiner is an experienced medical doctor who is supported by trained Medical Examiner Officers and who works for the Medical Examiner Service.
The Medical Examiner Service has been created because it has been recognised that an independent scrutiny of a death will allow the cause of a death to be accurately identified. It will also allow circumstances surrounding the death to be more objectively assessed so that any concerns about the treatment or care given can be identified and investigated.
This means that when your loved one dies at home the GP will discuss their care and what they believe caused the death with the Medical Examiner. The Medical Examiner will also read the GP and hospital notes of the person who has died and they will speak to their loved ones.
The GP and Medical Examiner will write the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death and the Medical Examiner will send this to the registrar so that you can register your loved ones death and receive their Death Certificate.
Arrange the funeral
The funeral can usually only take place after the death is registered. Most people use a funeral director, though you can arrange a funeral yourself.
Funeral directors
Choose a funeral director who’s a member of one of the following:
These organisations have codes of practice – they must give you a price list when asked.
Humanists UK can also help with non-religious funerals.
Arranging the funeral yourself
Contact the Cemeteries and Crematorium Department of your local council to arrange a funeral yourself.
Funeral costs
Funeral costs can include:
- funeral director fees
- things the funeral director pays for on your behalf (called ‘disbursements’ or ‘third-party costs’), for example, crematorium or cemetery fees, or a newspaper announcement about the death
- local authority burial or cremation fees
Funeral directors may list all these costs in their quotes.
Grieving and Support
‘Grief is not a disorder, a disease or sign of weakness.
It is an emotional, physical and spiritual necessity, the price you pay for love.
The only cure for grief is to grieve’
Earl Grollman
The GP practice is here to support our grieving patients.
You may also wish to visit Cruise Bereavement Care who provide advice and support for people who are grieivng
You can also phone
Samaritans 116 123
NHS Wales 111 – Option 2
What happens if I need access to medical records of the deceased?
When someone passes away, the practice collates their entire medical record and sends it by secure courier to NHS Wales Shared Service Partnership for archiving. Requests for access to these records should be sent to nwssp-primarycareservices@wales.nhs.uk.