Funerals from the Heart, Funeral Directors, Chester

Useful Information in the event of Death

What to do when someone dies:

Contact their GP if death occurs at home.

Contact Police if death was unexpected Emergency: dial 999 or dial 101 for non-emergency.

Contact Hospital if death occurs there.

Countess of Chester Hospital bereavement Office: 01244 365 110

Countess of Chester Hospice 01244 364 543

Ellesmere Port Hospital 01244 362 982

Hospice of the Good Shepherd 01244 851 091.

Cheshire Coroner 01925 442 473 / 442 474

Following every death:

Collect Medical certificate of cause of death from either their GP, Hospital or Coroner depending on who is dealing with the matter. You need this to register the death.

Registering the Death:

This must be done within 5 working days unless it has been reported to the Coroner.

Telephone to book an appointment.

Chester Register Office: 01244 972668

Goldsmith House, Goss St. Chester CH12BG

For Ellesmere Port, Northwich and Winsford residents ring the Chester office to make an appointment to attend your local office.

Registrar will give you:

A certificate of Burial or Cremation to give to your Funeral Director.

A certificate of Registration of Death Form BD8 to hand to Social Security Office.

The Death Certificate.

The Registrar will also help you to notify other government agencies needing to be informed of the recent death by using their ‘tell us once’ facility. Government agencies will then work out final payments of benefits for the person who’s died (including the State Pension) and tax credits; amend Income Tax; National Insurance and Council Tax; Cancel the passport and/or driving licence; make arrangements about council housing and Blue Badge schemes; make sure the person’s name is removed from the electoral register (also known as the electoral roll).

Will Queries and Probate

Liverpool District Probate Registry 0151 236 8264.

Probate Forms

http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/inheritancetax/iht-probate-forms/find-right-forms.htm

The Independent Order of Oddfellows publishes an annual survey of funeral costs to get an average price for your area: 08000281810

Citizens Advice Bureau Chester 0844 826 9690

Citizens Advice Bureau Ellesmere Port 0844 111 444

Age Concern Chester 01244 401500

Macmillan Support 01244 364948

Reflect Children’s and young People’s Counselling Service 01244 851 104

The Bereavement Project Hospice of the good shepherd 01244 853 193

Mollington Drop-In for the Bereaved 01244 853 193

National Organisations that may be able to help.

The Samaritans 01244 377999

Cruse Bereavement Care Young people bereavement help 0208 9399 530/ 0844 4779 400

Lesbian and Gay Bereavement Project 0208 455 8894

National Association of Widows 0845 8382 261

Roadpeace bereavement through road traffic accidents 0845 4500 355

Support after Murder and Manslaughter SAMM 0845 872 3440

Survivors of Bereavement by Suicide SOBS 0844 561 6855

The Compassionate Friends support after the death of a child 0845 123 2304

Terence Higgins Trust help for deaths caused by AIDS/HIV 02078 121 600

The Way Foundation Bereavement support for young men and women 0300 0124 929

Winston’s Wish childhood bereavement support 0845 203 0405

Covid 19 Updates

Update of the funeral parlour practices due to the recent Covid -19 virus.

The funeral parlour has swiftly had to implement several changes veering from our normal operating practices in light of the new Covid 19 virus, to fall in line with government recommendations that are required to protect grieving families and funeral staffs families.

It seems evident that there is a shortage of the testing equipment for this virus within the NHS, and so, with that in mind, it is good practice to assume that everyone in society is a potential carrier of the virus, and, to treat everyone as such until the virus no longer exists. This practice will protect your family and the families of the funeral staff.

In light of the above changes, the parlour is trying to limit the amount of people entering the premises. It feels unnatural to make all of the funeral arrangements via telephone and over the Internet, but less face to face contact will protect everyone involved. The lack of handshakes and consoling hugs has certainly left its mark on our staff, it feels callous not offering these gestures to grieving families. Face to face meetings with Ministers and funeral celebrants are also being discouraged. The process is workable albeit harsh, because the business has had to work with families who are based abroad arranging funerals to take place in Chester, but it feels unnatural not meeting face to face at a time when you feel that you really need some personal contact.

Changes will affect the way in which we look after your loved one. I'm sorry to admit this, but family viewings have had to cease until after the pandemic. Hair samples and fingerprints of clients are forbidden.

On the funeral day, guests will be encouraged to arrive at the crematorium in separate vehicles in line with the social distancing rule presently in place by the government. Use of the limousine family car has been put on hold, because it would mean up to 8 people become held in a small confined space.

The cemetery staff are limiting the family’s attendance to the funeral, allowing immediate family members only. This small list entiles;

Parents/ Carers
Partners/ Spouses
Siblings
Children

Our premises can no longer host in-house funerals or Wakes.

I can only express my sincerest apologies for bringing such awful news about the restrictions at a time when you have lost a loved one.

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Useful Information in the event of Death

Covid 19 Updates