Do call us day, night or weekend for immediate help. We answer all calls personally in or out of hours and never use a call centre.

A death in hospital
When someone close to you has passed away in hospital, even at night or the weekend, you may be advised that you should ring a Funeral Director only after you have registered. This is not the case with us, so if you do have questions, concerns or worries, please know that you are welcome to contact us straight away and we will try to reassure and inform you. We have the phone with us overnight, at weekends and at Bank Holidays, so there is no need to feel unsure and alone at a difficult time. The hospital staff will care for your loved one until you have made arrangements with a Funeral Director and then we will bring your loved one into our care. If you have decided that cremation is the desired option, two additional doctors will certify the cause of death (this is a requirement since the Shipman murders) and we will order these medical referee forms for you and will also advise you about registration of the death. If you need help and someone to accompany you, we will also organise this. In cases where death was unexpected, there may be a post mortem examination to identify the cause. You can still contact us - and we will help you with any questions you have regarding the Coroner process. We will also make enquiries for you regarding progress and explain some of the terminology. You'll receive support and advice from the moment that you contact us.

A death at home
If a family member has passed away at home, we are there to support you and your family - day or night - weekend or Bank Holiday. The family Doctor will need to attend before we can bring your loved one into our care and if death occurs outside business hours, your surgery will hold a recorded message so that you might request a visit from the on call out of hours doctor. Do feel free to call us before you call the doctor if you feel unsure - and we will remind you of the steps and assure you that we are at hand for you. If the death was unexpected, there may need to be a post mortem, just to identify the cause and in cases of sudden death where an ambulance is called but does not take your loved one to hospital, the police are usually also in attendance as a matter of course to reassure you. This is standard process - but can be a distressing experience. Let us explain and reassure you if you need some background information. We will do all that we can to help.

You matter too. It's easy to submerge yourself in the busy time that follows the loss of a loved one. Sometimes being busy is a useful part of helping you through - but the realisation of loss is always a shock, however expected it was - and it's important that you are gentle with yourself.

Common feelings
It's common to feel any number of emotions: numbness, living in a bubble, shock, relief, guilt, a sense of reproach, overwhelming loss - even anger. You will go over things and wish you'd said or not said this or that. It's a time when you may not have had as much sleep as normal, and you may find it difficult to rest following your loss. Recognise that you are at the very beginning of a grieving process - and allow yourself to be taken care of whenever the offer is there.