Royal Surrey County Hospital by bereavementadvice

NHS

Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust

A Guide for Relatives and Carers Medical Examiner’s Office

We would like to express our sincere condolences to you at this very difficult time. This booklet contains details about what needs to be done after the death of your relative or friend. We hope it will help you cope with some of the practical aspects such as registration and funeral arrangements. At the end of this booklet is a list of organisations that can provide you with help and support.

The hospital would like to thank RNS Publications for publishing this information and the following pages contain features from local services offering their help at this time. Whilst the hospital is grateful of their support it does not endorse or recommend any other services they provide.

CONTENTS Contacting The Medical Examiner’s Office........................................................... 1 Medical Certificate of Cause of Death (MCCD).............................................. 2 How long will I have to wait for a (MCCD)?.......................................................... 3 Referral to Coroner.................................................................................................................................... 4 Mortuary..................................................................................................................................................................... 5 Who can give me advice?............................................................................................................... 6 Donations in memory............................................................................................................................. 7 Registering the death............................................................................................................................. 8 Tell Us Once........................................................................................................................................................ 10 List of local Funeral Directors.................................................................................................... 11 Funerals what to do first.................................................................................................................... 13 Funeral Directors.......................................................................................................................................... 13 Help with funeral costs......................................................................................................................... 13 Coping with bereavement................................................................................................................ 15 Practical advice and support....................................................................................................... 18 National organisations.......................................................................................................................... 19 Stopping Junk Mail to the recently deceased.................................................... 21

Contacting The Medical Examiner’s Office Please telephone the The Medical Examiner’s Office between 12.30pm and 3.30pm weekdays on 01483 303361 (The office is closed weekends and bank holidays). When you contact the The Medical Examiner’s Office a member of the team will request further information from you and advise you of the process. This will include: •

Full name of the person who has died

•

Date of their death

•

Confirmation of next of kin, and/or person leading the arrangements

•

The last occupation of the deceased

•

The name of the Funeral Directors if known

The Medical Examiners Officer will also ask you if you have any concerns about your relatives/friend’s care at the Hospital. If your relative/friend had any property with them in the hospital it will remain on the ward. You will need to contact the ward receptionist to arrange collection.

Medical Certificate of Cause of Death A Medical Certificate of Cause of Death (MCCD) is needed to register the death of your relative or friend. The Medical Examiner’s Officer will work with the clinical team to ensure this is completed and will be able to advise you on the processes you will need to follow. The Medical Examiner reviews the medical records to understand the circumstances around the death and checks that the MCCD is written correctly. If you have any questions or concerns you can raise them with the Medical Examiner. The aim is that they will make it easier for you to understand the wording on the MCCD. You may receive a call from them once the certificate has been completed.

How long will I have to wait for the Medical Cause of Death Certificate (MCCD) to be sent to the registrar office? The MCCD is a legal document which can only be issued by a doctor who knows the cause of death and was involved in the care of the deceased. This can mean sometimes an unavoidable wait for the certificate such as where there may be urgent clinical matters requiring attention. A delay may occur if the doctor has to get approval of a cause of death from the Coroner. Until the cause of death is approved by the Coroner, the doctor will not have permission to issue the certificate. When the Certificate is ready the Medical Examiner’s Office will send it electronically to the Surrey Register office. You will receive a call from the ME Office with a reference number for the Certificate and a number to call to book at one of the following Register Offices: Camberley, Guildford, Leatherhead and Weybridge. Please do not book appointments with the Registrar or plan a funeral date until you have confirmation that the paperwork has been completed.

Referral to Coroner In some circumstances the death may have to be referred to the Coroner. This is a legal requirement and cannot be avoided. This may include: • If the death was sudden or unexplained. • If the death occurred during or following surgery/procedures. • If your relative/friend had a fall/fracture. • If your relative/friend was involved in an accident. • If the death of your relative/friend may have involved an industrial disease. Referrals to the Coroner need not be a cause of concern, although it will delay in the issuing of the MCCD. When the Coroner reaches a decision they will notify the next of kin. The Medical Examiner’s Office will have to wait until formal notification is received from the Coroner’s Office before they can proceed. Coroner’s Office contact number: 01483 404530

Hospital Post Mortems Sometimes the hospital doctor who has written the MCCD may ask your permission to carry out a post mortem examination. This can help doctors understand more about the extent of the disease, or enhance medical knowledge in treating similar cases in the future. You will be under no pressure to agree to a hospital post mortem if you do not wish one to be carried out. The doctors will meet with you to explain what is involved and will ask you to sign a consent form before proceeding.

Mortuary When a patient dies at the hospital they are attended to by the nursing staff before being taken to the mortuary. They are cared for here before being collected by a Funeral Director who has been instructed by the next of kin. The Medical Examiner Officer, a Chaplain from the Spiritual Care Service and the Mortuary Staff work together to respond to urgent pastoral need on site. The viewing room in the mortuary is a clinical space principally for the use of the Coroner and the Police Service. We advise families to make arrangements with their Funeral Directors should they wish to view their loved ones in a Chapel of Rest prior to a funeral. There is no mortuary at Milford or Haslemere Hospitals and therefore there is an agreement to use the Mortuary facilities at the local undertakers. Milford Hospital use: J Gorringe and Son Funeral Director 55 Hare Lane, Farncombe, Godalming, Surrey, GU7 3EF Tel. 01483 355663 Haslemere Hospital use: G.M.Luff & Partner Funeral Director 84 Lion Lane, Haslemere, Surrey, GU27 1JH Tel. 01428 643524 You are under no obligation to use these Funeral Directors and are free to make your own independent arrangements. 5

Who can give me advice? Nursing Staff The nurses on the ward will be pleased to try and answer any questions you have and discuss any problems. If you wish, they can contact a relative or friend for you. Medical Team The medical team is available to see relatives and close friends to answer your questions. A meeting can be arranged via the ward sister or nursing staff. The Medical Examiner Service Following their independent review of the cause of death and the events leading to death, the Medical Examiner may be able to provide you with further information or you can raise any significant concerns. Spiritual Care Service The Spiritual Care Service is available to support all patients, relatives and staff for their own spiritual need. There may be a need for a ritual intervention in a specific religious tradition and we can signpost a way for you. You might just wish for some support in a time of crisis. This can often be most relevant at a time of bereavement when deep existential questions become important. The ongoing work of Spiritual Care Service involves remembering those who have died, and maintains a Baby Memorial Book is maintained in the Chapel Prayer Space on Level B. You are very welcome to contact the Spiritual Care Service by phone on 01483 406835, internally on extension 4044, or by email rsch.spiritual-care@nhs.net General Practitioner/Family Doctor The Medical Examiner Officer will notify the deceased’s GP/Family Doctor within one to two days. You may wish to seek the help and support of your own GP. 6

The Fountain Centre The Fountain Centre is an independent charity situated within St. Luke’s Cancer Centre and can offer information and support services to anyone affected by a diagnosis of cancer. They can offer pre and post bereavement support as well as signpost you to other local support services. Our one-to-one support, counselling and coaching is offered by qualified volunteers who are supported by a team of skilled health care professionals. The Fountain Centre can be contacted on 01483 406618 between 9.00am and 5.00pm Monday to Thursday and Friday 9.00am and 4.30pm or email rsc-trfountaincentre@nhs.net

Donations in Memory If you are thinking about a donation to charity instead of flowers, please consider Royal Surrey County Hospital Charity. They assist and care for patients in all parts of the hospital and would greatly value your support. Please get in touch if they can help in anyway by calling 01483 464146. The lines are normally open Monday to Friday 8.30am to 4pm (closed weekends & bank holidays). Other ways to get in touch Email: rsch.charity@nhs.net Website: www.royalsurreycharity.org.uk Postal Address: Fundraising Office Royal Surrey Hospital NHS Foundation Trust Egerton Road Guildord Surrey GU2 7XX 7

Registering the Death Once the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death (MCCD) has been completed, either the Medical Examiner or the Medical Examiners Officer will call you to discuss the contents of the MCCD. The paperwork is scanned directly to the Register Office and there is no need for the family to collect paperwork from the Medical Examiner’s Office. After you have been notified that the MCCD has been sent to the Registrar you can book an appointment online at: www.surreycc.gov.uk/birth-death-and-ceremonies/death/registration -appointment or by calling them on 0300 200 1002. What the Registrar needs to know During the appointment, the Registrar will ask you to provide the following information. 1. Date of death. 2. Place of death. • This will be the name of hospital or nursing home, house number, street name, postcode and village town, etc. • If the death took place in an ambulance, car, etc., then you need to provide information about the locality of the vehicle when the death occurred and the intended destination. 3. Name and surname of the deceased. • This should be the name they were known as at the time of their death. • You should also establish if they are known by any other name currently or previously. • You need to record those details together with some notes as to the circumstances to help the Registrar ascertain how to record the information in the entry. 4. The gender of the deceased. 8

5. Maiden surname of woman who has been married or civil partnership. • This is the surname in which a woman contracted (first) marriage or Civil Partnership. • Date of Birth: Please provide approximate dates if the exact date is not known. 6. Place of Birth. • Town and county/London borough or country of birth and only country if born outside the UK. 7. Occupation. • Provide as much information about their job title relating to the most recent occupation. • Please also record whether the deceased was retired. 8. Marital Status. • This will be the marital status of the deceased at the time of their death. • Single (never married or in a civil partnership), Divorced, Husband or Wife or Widower, Civil Partner or Surviving Civil Partner. 9. Spouse/Civil Partner’s Name and Surname. • This should be the name and surname of the deceased’s spouse or civil partner. 10. Spouse/Civil Partner’s Occupation. • Provide as much information as possible about their job title relating to the most recent occupation and if they were retired. 11. Usual Address. • This should include the name or number of the house, name of the street and village or town. • Where the death occurred in a hospital the deceased’s usual address should be recorded. 9

12. It would be helpful if you are able to locate the deceased’s NHS number, which can be found on their NHS card or prescription (however this is not essential).

Tell Us Once Tell Us Once aims to ease the burden of bereaved relatives by allowing you to notify multiple government agencies at the same time about the death. When you have your death registration appointment, the Registrar will register you on the Tell Us Once service. This will enable you later on to go online or make one telephone call to the Tell Us Once team who will, on your behalf, notify as many organisations that participate in the service as possible. Organisations which can be informed include: • • • • •

Local Councils. Identity & Passport Service. Driver & Vehicle Licensing Agency. Department for Work & Pensions. HM Revenue & Customs.

Time Frame The details recorded during registration will be kept on the Tell Us Once system for 28 days so it is essential that you contact the service within that time period. Further Information You can find out more information by going online at www.surreycc. gov.uk/birth-death-and-ceremonies/death/tell-us-once.

List of Local Funeral Directors Co-op Funerals

91 Victoria Road, Aldershot GU11 1JE

01252 320055

68 Victoria Road, Farnborough GU14 7PH

01252 542236

287 Fleet Road, Fleet GU51 3BT

01252 623098

14 Broadway, Woodbridge Road, Guildford GU1 1DY 01483 564554 11 Goldsworth Road, Woking GU21 6JY

01483 756704

231 Shawfield Road, Ash Vale GU12 5DL

01252 330834

3 Wharf Road, Camberley GU16 6LE

01252 837506

3 Lower Mead, Hillbrow Road GU33 7RL

01730 895593

Clandon Wood

Epsom Road, West Clandon GU4 7FN

01483 479614

Cranleigh Funerals

Sussex House, Ewhurst Road, Cranleigh GU6 7AE

01483 275758

E Finch & Sons

123 High Street, Aldershot GU11 ITT

01252 240837

Farnham Funerals

100 Shortheath Road, Farnham GU9 8SE

01252 980953

Ford Mears & Partners

67 Grosvenor Road, Aldershot GU2 3DZ

01252 319457

G M Luff & Partners

84 Lion Lane, Haslemere GU27 1JH

01428 643524

Gould & Chapman

Avenue House, Headley Road, Grayshott GU26 6TZ 01428 604436

Godalming Funeral Services Meadow Croft, Bridge Road, Godalming GU7 3DT 01483 945672 Greenwood & Sons

66 Send Road, Send GU23 7EU

01483 210222

2 Aldershot Road, Guildford GU2 8AF

01483 567845

34 Madrid Road, Guildford GU2 7NU

01483 449554

1 Anchor Hill, Knaphill GU21 2HL

01483 487889

19 Junction Place, Haslemere GU27 1LE

01428 656364

1 New Parade, Leatherhead Road, Great Bookham KT23 4RL

01372 454777

5 The Parade, Frimley GU16 7HY

01276 684650

14 Guildford Road, Bagshot GU19 5JH

01276 473707

75 Old Woking Road, West Byfleet KT14 6LF

01932 345306

Hawkins and Son

2a Highlands Road, Leatherhead KT22 8ND

01372 372435

Holmes & Family

167A North Lane, Aldershot GU12 4SY

01252 333815

20 Fleet Road, Fleet GU51 4QG

01252 628600

388 Yorktown Road, Sandhurst GU47 0PU

01276 37457

James & Thomas

24 Station Parade, Ockham Road South, East Horsley KT24 6QN

01483 342945

Mill Road, Cobham KT11 3AL

01932 800530

259 Epsom Road, Merrow GU1 2RE

01483 342914

6 St Johns Road, Woking GU21 7SE

01483 342948

305 Woodham Lane, New Haw KT15 3NY

01932 800534

J Gorringe & Sons

55 Hare Lane, Farncombe GU7 3EF

01483 319583

Lodge Bros.

48-54 Goldsworth Road, Woking GU21 6LE

01483 768942

33 Old Woking Road, W Byfleet KT14 6LG

01932 355897

7 The Square, Guildford Road, Lightwater GU18 5SS 01276 588107 3 Bagshot Road, Chobham GU24 8BP

01276 543489

204 London Road, Burpham, Guildford GU4 7JS

01483 615031

70 Woodbridge Road, Guildford GU1 4RD

01483 562780

50 High Road, Byfleet KT14 7QL

01932 345037

Mullards

121-123 High Street, Godalming GU7 1AQ

01483 860279

Patricks Funerals

86/87 East Street, Farnham GU9 7TP

01252 982391

P Boast & Son

36 Eastworth Road, Chertsey KT16 8DW

01932 563238

Pimms

Dorset House, High Street, Cranleigh GU6 8RL

01483 274079

R H Faulkner & Daughter

101 Lynchford Road, Farnborough GU14 6ET

01252 941415

Robert Ayling

107 Aldershot Road, Guildford GU2 8BE

01483 319505

Sherlock & Son

Trellis House, 190 South Street, Dorking RH4 2ES 01306 882266

Thorne Leggett

8-10 The Street, Wrecclesham, Farnham GU10 4PR 01252 757674 1 Brenthurst, Petersfield Road, Bordon

01420 446746

Town & Country

5 Heath Mill Lane, Worplesdon GU3 3PR

01483 799914

W A Truelove & Son

215 High Street, Dorking RH4 1RU

01306 887000

55 Church Street, Leatherhead, KT22 8EP

01372 370100

123-125 Goldsworth Road, Woking GU21 6LR

01483 342946

8 Anchor Crescent, Knaphill GU21 2PD

01483 342922

78 High Street, Horsell GU21 4SZ

01483 355886

Woking Funerals

Woodford Family Funerals

Dobbe House, Ewhurst Road, Cranleigh GU6 7AA 01483 276500

Funerals what to do first Find out if there is a Will or any particular requests that the deceased may have left regarding their funeral arrangements. If the death has to be reported to the Coroner, this may affect the date that the funeral can be held, but provisional arrangements may still be made with the Funeral Director. Please let your Funeral Director know that there may be a delay.

Funeral Directors Most funerals are arranged by a Funeral Director and you will need to decide which one to use. A list of local Funeral Directors is available in this booklet or on request from The Medical Examiner’s Office or Coroner’s Office. It is a good idea to telephone two or three Funeral Directors for cost estimates to make a comparison. Once you have made a decision it is worthwhile making tentative arrangements, which you can confirm later. Funeral arrangements can be made before the death has been registered.

Help with funeral costs Funerals can be expensive so check where the money for the funeral will be coming from. If the person responsible for arranging the funeral is receiving any benefits, help with the funeral costs may be available from the local Job Centre. If you contact them ask for the Social Fund Section. Alternatively, the claim form SF200 is downloadable from the Department for Work and Pensions website at www.dwp.gov.uk. You may be eligible for Bereavement Support Payment if your spouse or civil partner is under state pension age at the time of death. The Medical Examiners Officer may also be able to give advice on where to get help. 13

Further Information If you have issues regarding the care your relative/friend received the Patient Advice & Liaison Service (PALS) is available to support and assist you with any concerns you may have. The PALS Office is open 9.00am to 3.00pm Monday to Friday except bank holidays. The PALS team can be contacted: Tel: 01483 402757 Email: rsc-tr.PALS@nhs.net Postal Address: PALS Royal Surrey Hospital NHS Foundation Trust Egerton Road Guildford Surrey GU2 7XX

Information on bereavement and grief with contact numbers and advice for finding ongoing support for you and your family

Coping with bereavement Bereavement and grief are natural processes and the majority of people find their own way through their loss. Nevertheless, some people will experience difficulty in adapting to their loss and may benefit from the support of others outside their extended family and friends. Some may benefit from professional assistance to help them cope. The different stages of grief are now fairly well recognised and include: • • • •

Shock and disbelief. Expressions of grief. Depression and anxiety. Signs of recovery.

You may be able to cope better with one stage than another. You may find yourself see-sawing through bouts of misery, anger and depression, all in one day. This can happen even at a time when you or friends and relatives hoped you were showing signs of recovery. Each stage will vary with each individual and you will not necessarily progress through each stage, step by step, or indeed through all of them.

Shock and Disbelief Initial shock at loss is often described as numbness, a sense of disbelief. Sometimes, the fact of death and the meaning of the loss may be impossible to take in at first. Shock is a natural reaction which cushions us and allows us to feel our loss more slowly. Expressions of Grief Some of us may feel grief as acute pangs of sadness and loss which, in time, may be experienced less often. Feelings of guilt may be another painful expression of grief. Some people blame themselves because they wish that they had done things differently just before or at the time of death of their loved one. They may also feel that there were issues which needed to be spoken about before the death and that the opportunity has now been lost. This can feel as though we have missed the opportunity to put right past wrongs and hurts. We may even feel that if we had acted differently the death could have been postponed or prevented. These feelings may have to be talked through many times before any peace of mind can be reached – this is part of the healing process. Anger and aggression are also possible expressions of grief. Anger might be at what seems to be the injustice of the loss, anger at the lack of proper understanding in others, anger at those who might seem to have allowed the loved one to die. The source of the anger is usually at death itself and our feelings of hopelessness in the face of death. Some people may even be angry with a loved one for dying or angry with themselves for a variety of reasons. Sometimes this anger shows itself as hostility towards others such as family, friends and hospital staff. It helps to try to work through feelings of anger with someone you can confide in, preferably someone not emotionally involved in your own loss.

Remembering and re-living the past can be part of the grieving process. This remembering might be painful and reawaken former experiences of grief or loss, but it may also call happy events to mind. Remembering both sad and happy events might be part of the healing process. One effect of this is that your relationship with the person who has died begins to change. Through remembering, the fact that your loved one will not come back can become more real to you. Your relationship with the person you have lost can then change so that they become special to you in a new way. Depression and Anxiety Depression. The bereaved person may begin to feel the despair, the emptiness and the pain of loss. It is often accompanied by feelings of redundancy, lack of self-worth and apathy. If you can cry, it usually helps to relieve the stress. Anxiety. For some bereaved people, feelings of anxiety may be difficult to manage as the full realisation of the loss emerges. There may be anxiety about several issues including new responsibilities and other life changes. If you seem to be depressed or anxious for a long time, please contact your doctor. Signs of Recovery When you feel you are able to live with your loss, can understand the changes that have occurred and begin to accept the new circumstances of your life, your grief is subsiding. You may even miss your grief. Other losses may need to be faced as well. Some people cope with the hurt and confusion that bereavement brings with the aid of their own internal resources and the support of family, friends and community networks. However, for others the experience and support of others, including those who have suffered a similar loss, may be of help to work their way through to recovery.

Practical advice and support You can get practical advice from your Funeral Director, GP practice, minister of religion and the Citizens Advice Bureau. You may feel that you want more than practical advice and that you need to talk to someone sympathetic who is outside your immediate family, or with people who have gone through a similar experience. The following organisations provide help. LOCAL ORGANISATIONS AGE UK, SURREY For advice regarding elderly people The Clockhouse Community Centre, Chapel Lane, Milford, Surrey GU8 5EZ www.ageuk.org.uk/surrey

01483 503414

CITIZENS ADVICE BUREAU For free advice on a range of problems Guildford Borough Council Offices GU2 4BB

0808 812 7087

CRUSE BEREAVEMENT CARE For help and support following bereavement southwestsurrey@cruse.org.uk

01483 565660

THE FOUNTAIN CENTRE For support before and after death from cancer www.fountaincentre.org

01483 406618

THE SAMARITANS 24 hour help line for those feeling suicidal Guildford Branch www.samaritans.org

0330 094 5717

SURREY COUNTY COUNCIL 03456 009009 For help regarding housing, council tax, etc Contact Centre, First Floor, Dakota, De Havilland Drive, Weybridge, Surrey KT13 0YP www.surreycc.gov.uk 18

NATIONAL ORGANISATIONS BEREAVEMENT SUPPORT NETWORK Advice regarding funerals, probate, tax benefits and preventing junk mail to the deceased www.bereavementsupport.co.uk

0333 240 0360

CARE FOR THE FAMILY Offers bereavement support www.careforthefamily.org.uk

0292 081 0800

CHILD BEREAVEMENT TRUST 0800 0288840 For support following the death of a baby or child www.childbereavementuk.org CHILD BEREAVEMENT NETWORK For those supporting a bereaved child www.childhoodbereavementnetwork.org.uk

020 7843 6309

CHILDLINE 0800 1111 For children and young people up to age 19 to ring for their own support www.childline.org.uk THE COMPASSIONATE FRIENDS Support for bereaved parents and their families www.tcf.org.uk

0345 123 2304

CRUSE BEREAVEMENT CARE For anyone who has been bereaved www.cruse.org.uk

0808 808 1677

HOPEAGAIN 0808 808 1677 Cruse Bereavement Care’s Youth Involvement Project www.hopeagain.org.uk MACMILLAN CANCER SUPPORT For cancer patients and their families www.macmillan.org.uk 19

0808 808 0000

MIND 0208 215 2243 Provide a range of help including understanding information in this Bereavement Booklet Woking MIND 07860 340 739 www.mind.org.uk ROAD PEACE 0800 160 1069 For families bereaved as a result of a road death www.roadpeace.org RIPRAP Website support for teenagers when a parent is diagnosed with cancer through to bereavement www.riprapfriends.org SUE RYDER Online forum for bereavement support www.sueryder.org WAY WIDOWED & YOUNG 0300 201 0051 A self help group for young widowed people up to the age of 50 www.widowedandyoung.org.uk WINCHESTER DISTRICT PROBATE REGISTRY Information about what to do after a death www.gov.uk/after-a-death WINSTON’S WISH Help for bereaved children and their families www.winstonswish.org

0300 123 1072

08088 020 021 Monday-Friday

The above telephone numbers were correct at the time of printing. We do apologise if any of these numbers have been changed since.

Stopping Junk Mail to the recently deceased If someone you know has died, the amount of unwanted marketing post being sent to them can be greatly reduced which helps to stop painful daily reminders. By registering with the free service www.stopmail.co.uk the names and addresses of the deceased are removed from mailing lists, stopping most advertising mail within as little as six weeks. If you cannot access the internet you can call 0333 006 8114, where you will be asked for very simple information that will take only a few minutes to complete. Alternatively, you can complete the leaflet enclosed that can be returned in the post. This free of charge service provided by the Bereavement Support Network will actively reduce the unwanted marketing mail but also can help reduce the likelihood of identity theft following the death of someone close. The information is not used for any other purpose and you only have to complete this once. Additionally to Stop Mail a comparable service can also be accessed from the Bereavement Register or Deceased Preference Service if you would prefer to use them.

If you would like information in large print, on tape or in another language, please contact us on 01483 303361 Author & Revisions: Medical Examiner Office Publication date: December 2025 Review date: December 2027 21

The Hospital would like to thank RNS Publications for publishing this information and the following pages contain some features from services offering their help at this time. Whilst the Hospital is grateful of their support it does not endorse or recommend any of the services that they provide.

STOPPING JUNK MAIL If someone you know has died, we can reduce the amount of unwanted marketing post being sent to them, stopping painful daily reminders. By registering with our free service, the names and addresses of the deceased are removed from mailing lists, stopping most advertising mail within as little as six weeks.

Call: 0333 006 8114 OR

Visit our website: www.stopmail.co.uk bereavement support network stop mail

here to help

Calls are charged at standard landline rates. Calls from mobiles are included in inclusive call packages. © Bereavement Support Network Ltd 2025

Do you need help with

Probate? You may need help, support or advice on what to do when someone dies in relation to probate. It may not always appear obvious if it will be required.

Call: 0333 240 0360 We offer free guidance on the legal and financial aspects of bereavement including your responsibilities and whether probate is required. You may need to establish whether a property is held in joint names or tenants in common, we can perform a simple check at no cost to establish the title deeds. This service is provided by

bereavement support network here to help

Connecting you with managed and D.I.Y. Probate Solutions Calls are charged at standard landline rates. Calls from mobiles are included in inclusive call packages.