When a Death Occurs

Whether sudden or expected, bereavement of a loved one is a profound and emotional moment that can leave us feeling overwhelmed and uncertain

During this challenging time, it’s important to remember that you’re not alone. Our family at Paul Sherris Funeral Services is here to serve yours, offering guidance, empathy, and respect in every service we provide.

We want to assure you that our dedicated team is available to support you every hour of every day, throughout the entire year. No matter the time or the day, we are here to guide you through every step of saying goodbye to your loved one, ensuring that you and your family receive the care you need during this sad time.

Below is a guide to show the steps to follow, in different circumstances, when you are faced with the death of a loved one.

If the death occurred at home, you’ll need to contact your loved ones GP practice so that a doctor or medical professional can attend to verify the death. If out of surgery hours, you would need to contact the on-call doctor on 111.

Once the doctor has attended and verified death, please feel free to contact us, so that we can arrange to have your loved one transferred into our care day or night.

If your loved one was under the care of a hospice, they can guide you through the process.

It will normally be the role of The Hospital Bereavement Team to assist you and they will: 

  • Be in touch with the next of kin
  • Arrange for the collection of any personal effects
  • Arrange for the issue of the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death
  • Care for your loved one until you have contacted us
  • Facilitate the bringing of your loved one into our care

In addition, the hospital staff from the Bereavement Team will inform you of the procedure for registering the death. 

If a death occurs suddenly outside of a medical setting or the deceased has not been seen by a medical professional in  the last twenty eight days:

  • Dial 999 and request an ambulance and police immediately
  • The Emergency Services will arrange for the deceased to be taken to our local mortuary at Royal Cornwall Hospital, Treliske.
  • The death will be reported to a Coroner
  • The Coroner may call for a post-mortem or an inquest and will keep you informed at each stage of the process.

While the Coroner completes their investigations, you are welcome to contact us for any further help and assistance regarding any of our funeral Packages & Prices (Link to Page)