Phase 1

First 48 hours

Who to call, the medical certificate, the coroner, what the Police do, and making the property safe.

Work through these in your own time — ticking one is enough for today.

• Get the death formally verifiedCall the right person so the death can be verified.
• Understand the Police and coroner roleFind out whether the coroner is involved, and get the case number.
• Get the medical certificate of cause of deathAsk the hospital or GP when the certificate will be ready.
• Secure the propertyMake sure the home is locked, and note who holds keys.
• If the death happened at home and was not found straight awayClose the room off, stay out of it, and let professionals assess it.
• Pets, food and heatingArrange care for any pets and empty the fridge.
• Tell the people who need to hear it from youMake a short list of people to tell, and share it out.