Information for relatives of patients that have died
What to do first
Please telephone the Bereavement and Patient Affairs Office after 10am on the next working day after your loved one has died and you will be assigned a Bereavement and Patient Affairs Officer who will take you through the process and next steps.
We apologise if the telephone line is engaged for a long period, we may be talking to another bereaved family.
Bereavement and Patient Affairs Office contacts:
Royal Bournemouth Hospital - 0300 019 4152 / 5752 / 5653 / 4152
Poole Hospital - 0300 019 2673
Please do not come to the hospital without calling first and getting confirmation that all property is ready for collection. We also advise that you do not book a funeral date until you have spoken to the team. However, you can speak to a Funeral Director to begin planning arrangements for the funeral.
You may also find the following links helpful:
Medical Examiners Office
All deaths must be reviewed by an independent Medical Examiner. A Medical Examiner is a senior doctor who was not involved in the care of the patient. Their role is to independently review the care and circumstances prior to a patient’s death.
The Medical Examiner will agree the cause of death and whether the death requires a Coroner referral or not. If a Coroner referral is required, the Medical Examiner or Medical Examiner Officer will contact you to discuss the reason and the next steps.
A key part of the Medical Examiner’s role is to discuss the cause of death with the bereaved/ next of kin. A Medical Examiner or a Medical Examiner Officer will contact you to explain the death certificate and answer any questions you may have. They will also give you the opportunity to raise any concerns about the care given to the patient. Any feedback that is raised is passed on appropriately and sometimes leads to further investigation. Once this discussion is complete, the medical cause of death certificate will be given to the Bereavement and Patient Affairs Team who will contact you to book an appointment to register the death.
What if the death has been referred to the Coroner
If the death has been referred to the Coroner, the Medical Examiner Team will contact you to let you know why. A Coroner’s Officer will then contact you directly. Even when a death is referred to the Coroner, it is sometimes possible to register the death in the usual way, when the cause of death is clear. The Coroner may instruct the doctor to complete the death certificate. If the cause of death is not clear, a further examination known as a ‘postmortem’ may be required. This is carried out by an expert pathologist. The Coroner has a legal right to request a postmortem even if this is contrary to the family’s wishes. The hospital cannot issue a death certificate when a Coroner’s postmortem is to be carried out.
You need to tell the funeral director if the death has been referred to the Coroner as it may mean the funeral needs to be delayed. The Coroner may request an inquest to be carried out to determine the facts surrounding a death. They may issue an interim death certificate which can be used to for purposes such as applying for probate while the inquest process is ongoing and allows the funeral to take place.
The Coroner’s Office contact telephone number is 01202 123 900.
Viewings
If you would like to see your relative after they have been taken from the ward, limited viewing facilities are available in the hospital. This can be arranged through the Bereavement Office. It is helpful for viewings to take place Mon-Fri between 10am-3pm to enable us to provide the best support necessary.
If you require a viewing outside of these hours please contact the main hospital switchboard on 01202 303626 (Royal Bournemouth) or 01202 665511 (Poole) to speak to the Clinical Site Team who will be able to see if this can be arranged for you.
The Bereavement Team is mindful of meeting the needs of deceased patients in a multi-cultural society and the requirements of different faiths. We have Chaplains available who support all faiths. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the Bereavement Office.
Patient property
The personal property of the patient who has died may only be collected from the Bereavement and Patient Affairs Team by the following:
- A relative of the deceased
- Executor of the Will
- Funeral Director, with authorisation from the next of kin
- Friend, with authorisation from the next of kin
- A person arranging the funeral
When a person dies in hospital, their property and valuables will be checked by two members of staff and then sent to the Bereavement and Patient Affairs Team where they will be re-checked. Whoever is collecting the property may do so from the Bereavement and Patient Affairs Team after phoning to confirm that all property is ready for collection.
When a person dies at Forest Holme or the Macmillan Unit their property will be kept at the hospice for two weeks. To collect it call 0300 0195291 (Macmillan Unit) or 0300 0198115 (Forest Holme) to make an appointment. After two weeks it will be moved to Royal Bournemouth Hospital (for Macmillan Unit) or Poole Hospital (for Forest Holme) and collection can be arranged through the Bereavement Office.
Registering the Death
Once the hospital Medical Certificate of Cause of Death has been completed the Bereavement Office will contact you to book your registration appointment at a mutually agreed date and time. The necessary hospital paperwork is then sent electronically and securely to the registrar.
The standard rule is that you have 5 days to register the death from the day that you are contacted by the Medical Examiner.
Where do I go to register the death?
Bournemouth Registry Office
Town Hall, Bournemouth, Dorset, BH2 6DY
Telephone: 01202 123 777
Christchurch Registry Office (Located inside Christchurch Library)
26 High Street, Christchurch, BH23 1AW
Telephone: 01202 123 777
Poole Registry Office (The corner of Market Street and New Orchard)
The Guildhall, Market Street, Poole BH15 1NF
Telephone: 01202 123 232
What if I live outside the area?
All deaths must be registered in the district where the person has died. However, for relatives living outside the BCP area, the death may be registered by declaration at your local registry office. Please advise the Bereavement office if you wish to register by declaration and they can explain the process. Please be aware registering by declaration may cause a delay as the death certificate will be posted to you and are not available to collect at the time of registration.
What information will I need to give to the Registrar?
The Registrar will ask for the following:
- Date and place of death
- The usual address of the person who has died
- Full name, surname and any other names they were known by e.g. unmarried name
- Date and place of birth of the person who has died (birth certificate if available)
- Occupation (and the name and occupation of the spouse of the person who has died)
- Whether they were receiving a pension/ allowance from public funds
- If they were married, the date of birth of the surviving spouse
What will the Registrar give me?
The Registrar will send the death certificate to the appointed funeral director, along with the green certificate so the funeral can take place.
You may ask the Registrar for as many certified copies of the death certificate as you require as it has Crown copyright and may not be photocopied. Banks, for example, will request the original copy, but you may ask for it to be returned. There is a standard fee for each copy. The Bereavement and Patient Affairs Team or Registrar can advise on current charges.
The white form - or BD8 - is for social security/ pension purposes and may not be required if you choose to allow the Registry Office to notify the relevant government departments.
The Registry Office will also offer you a service called ‘Tell Us Once’, which enables you to tell a number of Government agencies and the Borough of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole local authority about the death. The service is free and will save you time. The information you give will be treated securely.
Who needs to be told about the death?
While you have probably already told family, friends and neighbours about your loved one’s death, there are other people who will also need to be informed.
The tell us once service is a government service that lets you report a death to most government organisations in one go. It can be accessed on this link https://tell-us-someone-died.dwp.gov.uk/.
As well as the ‘Tell Us Once’ service, you may also wish to use the Stop Mail | Stop Unwanted Mail To The Deceased service to remove your loved one from direct marketing lists.
How do I arrange a funeral?
You will need to contact an undertaker or funeral director as soon as possible after a bereavement so initial arrangements can be made and you are supported from the outset.
A funeral is a time for celebrating the life of the person who has died as well as a time for saying goodbye and sharing grief. You will be asked to make various decisions about the ceremony, burial or cremation.
We are unable to recommend funeral directors, however there are numerous business directories available, as well as internet search engines, which you may find helpful.
You do not have to wait until the death certificate has been issued before you can contact a funeral director, however you may like to take time in making this decision and to compare costs and services offered. Many funeral directors belong to trade associations with codes of practice.
How is a funeral paid for?
Funeral costs are normally recoverable from the deceased’s estate, but the person organising the funeral will be responsible for paying the initial bill. It is advisable to check where the money will come from before you make arrangements. Some people now purchase their funeral in advance through a pre-purchase funeral plan. You may need to check if this was the case.
Many funeral directors require payment before probate is granted, so many banks and building societies will release money to pay for the funeral before probate is granted.
Where payment for the funeral is an issue, you may be entitled to receive help with funeral costs through a funeral grant. There is a one-stop contact number at the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) - 0345 6060 265. This will cancel all DWP benefits, as well as establish if you are eligible for help towards costs. They may also be able to advise on your eligibility for other benefits. There is a time limit for claiming a funeral grant so it important to contact them as soon as possible.
Donations for Medical Research
If your relative or friend wished to donate their body to medical research you should contact the medical school at the University of Southampton.
Please check that the team looking after your relative or friend are aware. They should then contact the university 023 81 205763 as soon as possible and advise the Bereavement Team. You can also use this number to contact them if you have any questions. Please be prepared that the university are often not able to accept donations.
Useful links:
What to do when someone dies: step by step - GOV.UK
Grief support services: Grief-Support-Guide_Nov-2024.pdf
To access the Grief Support Guide in other languages: Grief Support Guide translations – National Bereavement Alliance
