What to do when someone dies at home: the first calls, in order

When someone dies at home, the first hour feels like it should be full of decisions. It is not. There is one call to make, and almost everything else can wait.

If the death was expected

If the person was ill and their death was expected, call their GP surgery during working hours. Out of hours, call NHS 111. A doctor or another qualified professional will come to verify the death. You do not need to call 999, and you do not need to do anything else while you wait.

You can sit with the person, open a window, take time. There is no time limit on this part, whatever anyone tells you.

If the death was sudden or unexpected

Call 999. The ambulance service will talk you through what to do, and the Police will usually attend a sudden death at home as a matter of routine. They are there to confirm there is nothing suspicious and to pass the case to the coroner — they are not investigating the family, and they do not clean, clear or secure the house beyond the immediate scene.

If the coroner is involved, ask the officer for the coroner's officer's name and the case number, and write both down. You will be asked for them repeatedly over the coming weeks.

What happens next

Once the death has been verified, a funeral director can collect the person whenever you are ready — you do not have to choose a funeral director on the first day. The doctor then refers the death to a medical examiner, a senior doctor not involved in the person's care, who reviews the cause of death and will usually ring you to explain it and answer questions.

You must wait for the medical examiner's office to confirm you can register. In England and Wales, the death must be registered within 5 days of that confirmation, including weekends and bank holidays. If the coroner is involved, follow their guidance instead.

The only other things that matter today

The property is locked and secure. Any pets are being cared for. Someone knows where you are. That is genuinely the whole list.

If the death happened at home, close every internal door and shut the windows before you leave the property. It limits odour and insects to one room, and open windows draw in flies and wildlife within hours in warm weather. If the person was not found straight away, do not open the room to check on it — there is nothing to be gained, and a specialist can assess the property without any family member going in.

Everything else — the funeral, the paperwork, the house, the money — has a place in the days and weeks after, and none of it has to start tonight.