If the person dies in a hospital, staff or the police (if the death was accidental) will contact the family/relatives, and the body will be taken to the hospital mortuary.

If the deceased was not a patient of the hospital, the family/relatives may be asked to identify the body.

The Medical Cause of Death Certificate (Form 11) will be issued from the ward unless there are circumstances that may not allow this.

The family/relatives will be asked to arrange for the body to be collected by the funeral director, who will normally take it to their chapel of rest.

In addition, the family/relatives will be asked to provide either confirmation of the estate or receipt as beneficiary to permit the collection of the person's personal possessions.

In some cases, the hospital may ask the family/ relatives permission to undertake a post-mortem. In England, Wales and Scotland, there is no legal requirement for the family/relatives to agree to this request. In Northern Ireland, if the coroner orders the hospital to conduct a post-mortem, the family/relatives are legally required to agree.

If the family/relatives know that the deceased wished to donate their organs/tissue after death or wished to donate their body for medical education or research, it is important to inform the hospital staff (although it is more likely that the family/ relatives will be approached if the circumstances are likely to favour organ donation).

If the Procurator Fiscal orders a post mortem examination to be done then the family/relatives have no rights to refuse as it is mandatory that it proceeds.

The Medical Cause of Death Certificate (Form 11) will need to be issued before the death can be formally registered with the Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages.

In the event that there are no surviving family/relatives available, or they are not able to arrange the funeral, arrangements may be made by the Health Board or the NHS Trust, who may claim for the funeral expenses from the deceased person's estate.