Bereavement Support
Practical and emotional support after the loss of someone close.
We're very sorry for your loss. We know this is a hard time, with a lot to think about. This page explains what to do before you can arrange a funeral, and what to expect.
Please get in touch if you need support or have any questions. We're here to help.
If a Death Happens at Home
Step 1 — Get the death confirmed by a doctor
A doctor needs to confirm the death before you can contact a funeral director.
- During surgery hours (Monday to Friday, 8:00am to 6:30pm): call us on 020 3728 2551.
- Outside surgery hours: call 111. They'll arrange for someone to attend.
- If it's an emergency, or you're worried, call 999.
Step 2 — Contact a funeral director
Once the death has been confirmed, you can contact a funeral director. They’ll take care of your loved one and guide you through what happens next.
Step 3 — The Medical certificate Cause of Death (MCCD)
The MCCD is the official document that records why someone died. Since September 2024, a Medical Examiner checks every death in England before writing the certificate. Here’s what happens:
- The GP writes a draft MCCD and sends it to the Medical Examiner's Office.
- The Medical Examiner checks the cause of death. They will contact you or your chosen person. Together you can discuss it and ask questions.
- Once you agree on the cause of death, the Medical examiner approves it. Then, they ask the GP to finish the final version.
- The MCCD needs to be signed by a GP who has seen the patient in life.
- The finished MCCD goes back to the Medical Examiner to be signed off, then straight to the Register Office.
Step 4 — Registering the death
The Medical Examiner will let you know once the paperwork has been sent to the Register Office. After that, you can contact them to book an appointment to register the death.
Brent Register Office: Brent Civic Centre, Engineers Way, Wembley HA9 0FJ | Tel: 020 8937 1010
By law, a death must be registered within 5 days of the Register Office receiving the MCCD.
How Long Does It Take?
This usually takes around 2 working days from when the GP sends the draft MCCD to the Medical Examiner.
If you need an urgent burial for religious reasons (for example, in Islamic or Jewish tradition), please tell us as soon as you can. We'll do our best to make this happen quickly.
If a Death Happens in Hospital
If your loved one died in hospital, the process is a little different:
- Hospital staff will start the process and contact their own Medical Examiner's Office.
- The Medical Examiner will contact you to talk about the cause of death, as above.
- Once the hospital says it's the right time, you can contact a funeral director.
- The hospital sends the MCCD straight to the Register Office. They'll tell you when you can register the death.
If your loved one was registered with us, please feel free to get in touch if you have questions or need support. We’ll help where we can.
If the Death Is Referred to a Coroner
Sometimes a death has to be looked at by HM Coroner instead. This can happen if:
- The cause of death isn't clear
- The death was sudden, unexpected, or unnatural
- It happened during or shortly after a medical procedure
- It may be linked to an accident, violence, or self-harm
- No doctor who had seen the patient in life is available who can sign the MCCD
If this happens, the steps above are put on hold. The Coroner’s Office will contact you directly. This may delay funeral arrangements while they look into things. Your funeral director can help guide you through this.
Letting Us Know
Please let us know if a patient registered with us has passed away. This means we can update our records and won’t send any more appointments or letters. You can do this by:
- Calling us on 020 3728 2551 during surgery hours
- Asking the Medical Examiner's Office or Register Office to tell us — they usually do this anyway as part of the normal process
We’ll close the patient’s record carefully and cancel any medication or referrals that are no longer needed.
Support With Grief
Everyone grieves differently, and there’s no right or wrong way to feel. If you or someone in your family is finding things hard, please talk to your GP. We can offer:
- A bereavement appointment with your GP
- A referral for counselling or talking therapy through the NHS
- Information about specialist bereavement charities
Practical Things to Sort Out
There are some practical steps to take in the weeks after a bereavement. These may help:
Tell Us Once: A government service that lets you tell several government departments about a death in one go. The Register Office will give you a code to use it. See www.gov.uk/after-a-death.
Probate and sorting out an estate: GOV.UK has guidance on dealing with someone’s estate after they’ve died: www.gov.uk/probate-estate.
Death abroad: If your loved one died outside the UK, the process is different. Contact the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office for help: www.gov.uk/death-abroad.
Urgent help
Emergency? Call 999.
When we're closed, call NHS 111 or visit 111.nhs.uk.