At home or in a care home

If the death was unexpected, you should dial 999 and ask for an ambulance immediately. The paramedics will carry out resuscitation or will confirm the death. If the person has just collapsed the emergency operator will explain what to do - please dial 999 and return to this website later.

If the death appears to have been an accident, a suicide or of a suspicious nature, you must also call the police immediately and leave the area untouched.

If the death was expected, perhaps due to a terminal illness, you should contact the deceased's GP or nearest doctor. If it happened during the night, you do not need to contact the doctor until the following morning unless you want to.

If the cause of death is known and from natural causes the doctor will issue the documents to allow you to register the death.

The ambulance staff or police will arrange for the body to be moved by a funeral director acting for the coroner if the death is unexpected. If a doctor has confirmed an expected death you may call a funeral director of your own choice when you are ready to do so. Funeral directors provide a service any time of day or night to people needing someone who has died at home to be moved to a funeral home.

If the doctor is unsure about the actual cause of death even if it was clearly from natural causes, or if the deceased died suddenly and had not been under a doctor's care during the past 14 days, or the death is unnatural, they will contact the coroner or procurator fiscal (Scotland). The coroner or procurator fiscal may order a post mortem examination to determine the cause of death and then issue the documents allowing the death to be registered.

Donation of organs for transplant is not usually possible following a death out of hospital but donation of tissues may still be possible. Please tell the doctor and funeral director as it may be necessary to move the body to a hospital rather than a funeral home.