What to do when someone dies

When someone dies the Doctor who was in attendance will issue a medical cause of death (MCCD) and forward this to a Medical Examiner who will contact bereaved families to discuss the cause of death and the care received.

Where the coroner is involved the procedure will be different and the Corner will advise you what to do.

The Medical Examiner will then email the MCCD to the Registrars and advise the family that they can contact the registrars to make an appointment to register the death.

By law the death must be registered within 5 days of the Registrar receiving the MCCD from the Medical Examiner. This does not apply when the Coroner is involved.

If the death occurred overseas the process of registration is different. Full details are available on GOV.UK.

Step by step navigation

  1. Who must register the death

    Who has the legal responsibility to register a death.

  2. How to register a death in Trafford

    What you need to do to register a death.

  3. At the appointment

    What will happen during the appointment.

  4. Tell us once service

    About the Tell us once service.

  5. Arranging a funeral and a burial or cremation

    How to start the process.