Registering a death
In most cases you will be required to register a death within five days. Following a death, the next of kin will be contacted by the Medical Examiner’s service. This is a new service, in which a senior independent doctor is required to scrutinize every death, whether in the hospice, hospital or community.
The next of kin will receive a telephone call from the Medical Examiner, who will talk through the cause of death, the certification process and any concerns with regard to the care received. The death certificate will be completed by a doctor.
This certificate is then sent to the Medical Examiner’s office to ensure the details are correct. The death certificate is then forwarded to the Registrars office ready for your appointment.
If the death requires referral to the coroner’s service, the death certificate will be produced following the coroner’s enquiry. The need to register the death within 5 days does not apply in this case.
The death should be registered by a relative, but this doesn’t have to be the next of kin. If this is not possible then it can be registered by someone who was present at the death, the occupier of the building in which the death occurred or the person making funeral arrangements.
You must register the death at an office in the district where the death occurred. If you are unable to attend the registration office in the appropriate district then please call 01305 225153 or email registrationinformation@dorsetcouncil.gov.uk.
You will be required to provide the following information:
- The person’s full name at the time of death and any names previously used, such as a maiden surname
- Date and place of birth (please provide both town and county if they were born in the UK, or country if born outside of the UK)
- The person’s most recent occupation and their usual residential address
- The full name, date of birth and occupation of their spouse or civil partner
- Ideally, their NHS number, if this is easily accessible
- You will be able to purchase one or more death certificates at a cost to you
