Registering a death
All deaths which have occurred in England and Wales will require an independent review to be carried out, without exception.
This will happen through independent examination by a medical examiner or through investigation by a coroner.
This review will:
- provide greater safeguards for the public by ensuring an independent team of medical examiners are examining the causes of death
- provide a better service for the bereaved and an opportunity for them to raise any concerns to a doctor who was not involved in the care of the deceased
- improve the quality of death certification
- expand the categories of people who can carry out a death registration
Once the cause of death has been approved, the relevant documents will be sent to the registrar by the medical examiner / coroner to enable a death registration to take place.
We will then contact the representative of the deceased as provided by the medical examiner’s office / coroner’s office to arrange the registration of the death.
Tell us once service
Tell Us Once is a government service which notifies various government departments that someone has died. You do not need to contact all the departments one at a time.
At your appointment to register the death, you will be encouraged to use this service. You will be issued a unique reference code and details on how to access the service.
Informing us of a death
If you are a Leicestershire resident and legally responsible for registering a death which has happened in a different district, you can declare the death to us.
This is not the same as registering a death. This is known as a declaration.
Please call us using the number below to arrange an appointment at one of our Leicestershire Registration Offices. During your appointment, the information of the death will be documented and forwarded to the relevant district for them to finalise and complete the registration.
Certificates can be purchased from the district completing the registration. More information can be found on Register a death – GOV.UK.
Support
If you need support dealing with bereavement and grief, Cruse (national bereavement charity) has information on their website.