We understand that you may not have dealt with the death of a loved one before. We hope that this basic guidance helps you during this difficult time.

• If your loved one dies in hospital, nursing staff will arrange for a doctor to issue the Medical Certificate of Death which you’ll need to collect, along with any belongings.
• If the funeral is to be a cremation, you’ll need to inform the hospital staff so they can make arrangements for any additional documentation needed.
• If your loved one dies at home or in a nursing home, contact the deceased’s doctor. If satisfied with the cause of death, they will issue the Medical Certificate of Death. Sometimes you’ll need to collect the certificate from the surgery. Nursing home staff will usually liaise with the doctor and arrange to collect the certificate.
• If your loved one dies unexpectedly, the emergency doctor (or any police involved at the scene) will automatically inform the Coroner’s office (if the deceased has not been under a doctor’s care regularly). This is a standard procedure. We can offer additional advice to guide you through.
• If your loved one dies away from home or abroad, we can make all the necessary arrangements to get your loved one back home to Merseyside.

Please contact our 24-hour manned line on (0151) 228 3900 and we’ll take it from there.