Taking the first steps when a loved one dies

We will guide you step by step with care, compassion and empathy on what you need to do when your loved one passes.  We will take care of every detail and all administrative duties.

Death at home

When a loved one passes away at home, it is a difficult and emotional time. There is a lot to organise, from your first contact with us, we will gently guide you on the next steps.

The doctor will issue the death certificate or if the death has occurred out of hours, a locum doctor or attending nurse will issue a letter attesting to the fact death has occurred. This will allow our first response care team to remove your loved one into our care. The death certificate can be collected from the surgery in normal opening hours.

Call us on 0141 423 4400 and we will gently guide you on what needs to be done to help you to start making the necessary arrangements.

Death in Hospital or Professional Care

When a loved one passes away in a hospital, hospice or professional care, the duty doctor will complete the death certificate. Normally, your loved one will be removed to the mortuary at the hospital or care home.

In the event that the care home does not have a mortuary or chapel of rest, we have our own state of the art facilities and we will look after your loved one until the time of the funeral.

Sudden or unexpected death

When someone dies suddenly as the result of an accident or in a situation where the deceased’s GP feels unable to issue a death certificate, the death and the circumstances surrounding will become a matter for the Procurator Fiscal.

Usually, the Procurator Fiscal or their representatives, the police, will engage a contracted undertaker to convey the deceased to the mortuary. A post-mortem may be required. Once the Procurator Fiscal’s enquiries have been completed, a death certificate will be issued.

If a family intend cremation they should notify the Procurator Fiscal. Even if the death has been reported to the Procurator Fiscal, early contact with us is strongly recommended so that we can advise and guide you on the various procedures.

UK (Other)

We are here to make life as easy as possible in difficult times, whatever the circumstances. Our empathetic, expert staff will offer all the practical and emotional support you need. If your loved one passes away in the UK and the death occurs away from their usual, permanent address, we will take care of all the arrangements for travel and transportation of the deceased.

Death abroad

If your loved one dies abroad, then it can seem an even more daunting and confusing time, with different countries following different procedures and unique laws.

Once again, getting in touch with us as soon as possible means we can help quickly and we will take responsibility for all arrangements.

Our repatriation specialists will advise on the often complex rules which apply in these circumstances.

We will also provide guidance on reporting and registering the death with local authorities, and liaising with the UK Consul in that country.

bereavement support

Emotional Support

Most people expect to be very upset or distressed when someone close to them has died. What takes many people by surprise is how strong the emotions can be, how they can change very quickly, and how long they last. People around you may seem to think you should be ‘back to normal’ after a few weeks or months. You might appear to be your usual self to other people, but you know that on the inside, you’re not even sure what normal is anymore.

Everyone grieves in a way that is unique to them and their relationship with the person who has died. Well-intentioned people may say to you, ‘Time is a great healer.’ Sometimes, however, it can seem that life is more difficult as the weeks and months go by.

We know that no-one can understand exactly what your loss feels like to you. But we do understand that it’s sometimes easier to talk to someone outside of your friends and family about grief and the impact of bereavement of your life and this is why we offer the GriefChat service.

GriefChat was created by bereavement experts and by clicking on the GriefChat box below, you can chat directly to a specially trained bereavement counsellor. GriefChat counsellors are experienced in supporting bereaved people and will listen to your story, explore how your grief is affecting you and help you to find any additional support you might need. GriefChat is a completely free service and is available Monday-Friday, 9am-9pm or by email out of these hours.

GriefChat provides emotional support for bereaved people, access to trained bereavement counsellors and referral into other specialist bereavement services.