What to do following a death

If a death has occurred at home, please call us once the doctor or medical professional has attended to verify the death. If a death has occurred in hospital contact us during waking hours at your earliest convenience. We will guide you through what needs to happen next to reflect your individual circumstances. We will then make arrangements for the deceased to be brought into our care. Our telephone number is 0113 239 2700.

Registering a death

A near relative or the person making the funeral arrangements will be required to register the death. You will obtain the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death (MCCD) from the doctor’s surgery (or from the hospital if the person died in hospital). You will then need to make an appointment to see the registrar for the district in which the death occurred, taking the Medical Certificate with you as detailed below.

Registration appointment

To register a death in Leeds please call 0113 222 4408 to make an appointment. You will need to collect the medical certificate from the doctor or hospital before your appointment.

A death should be registered within five days (unless a coroner is investigating the circumstances leading to a death)..

Information required by the registrar

Medical Certificate of Cause of Death (MCCD)
Full name of the person who has died
Last address
Date and place of birth
Date and place of death
Occupation (in the case of a woman who is married or widowed the name and occupation of her husband or deceased husband)
Any names previously used eg. Maiden name
Full name, date of birth and occupation of a surviving spouse or civil partner
NHS number of the person who has died (take medical card if available)
National Insurance Number of the person who has died and whether the deceased was in receipt of a State Pension or other benefits from public funds
Passport and Driving Licence (“Tell us once” service only)

On receipt of all the above information the Registrar will issue you with a certificate for burial or cremation. This green form should be delivered to our offices as soon as possible.

You will be able to purchase certified copies of the entry into the register, which you will need for administrating the estate eg. probate, insurances, investments etc. The number required depends on the complexity of the estate.