Understand the Police and coroner role
Find out whether the coroner is involved, and get the case number.
If the coroner is involved, registering the death has to wait, and that changes every date after it.
- How long it takes
- 10 minutes to ask; the coroner may take days or weeks
- Typical cost
- Free
- What you need before you start
- The name of the hospital, GP or officer you last spoke to
The Police attend sudden or unexplained deaths. They are not investigating you. Their job is to confirm there is nothing suspicious and to pass the case to the coroner.
The Police do not clean, clear or secure the property beyond the immediate scene, and they do not arrange the funeral.
The coroner is involved when the death was sudden, unexplained, during an operation, or the doctor cannot issue a medical certificate.
Ask for the coroner's officer's name and the case number, and write both down. You will be asked for them repeatedly.
Reference numbers from this step
Saved on this device, and gathered together in your reference numbers.
General information, not legal advice. Last reviewed 19 August 2026 by Simon D Campbell. Applies to England and Wales.