What to do in the first hour after someone dies
First, take a breath. In the first hour almost nothing is urgent, and there is no form to rush to. The only real task is to let the right person know — usually a doctor — so a death can be confirmed. Everything else can wait until you are ready.
Take it one step at a time.
If the death was expected, at home
If the person was being cared for at home and their death was expected, you do not need to call 999. Phone their GP surgery in working hours, or the NHS on 111 out of hours. A doctor or district nurse will come to confirm the death. There is no rush to move anything — sit with them as long as you wish.
If the death was sudden or unexpected
If you find someone and it is sudden, unexpected, or you are unsure, call 999. Paramedics will attend. If a death is unexpected the police may also come — this is routine and does not mean anything is wrong. They are simply part of how a sudden death is confirmed.
If the death happened in hospital or a care home
The staff will guide you and will have already begun the formal steps. A nurse or doctor confirms the death, and the hospital bereavement office will call you in the next day or two about the medical certificate. You do not need to do anything in the first hour except decide who you want beside you.
Getting the medical certificate
A doctor must complete a Medical Certificate of Cause of Death before you can register the death. This is not something you arrange in the first hour — the GP, hospital, or 111 service sets it in motion. You will only need it later, when you go to register the death within 5 days (8 days in Scotland).
What not to rush
Do not start phoning banks, cancelling cards, or hunting for the will tonight. None of it is time-sensitive, and acting while exhausted leads to mistakes. Money, paperwork, and notifications all keep until the days ahead. Tell one or two close people if you'd like support — that is enough for now.
A short checklist for this step.
Free to use — nothing to sign up for. Work down it at your own pace.
- If expected and at home: call the GP, or NHS 111 out of hours
- If sudden or unexpected: call 999
- If in hospital or a care home: let the staff guide you
- Let a doctor confirm the death — this is the only first-hour task
- Ask one or two close people to be with you if you can
- Leave banks, cards, the will and all paperwork for another day
- Note that registering the death comes later — within 5 days (8 in Scotland)
Answered, plainly.
When you're ready — not tonight — Executor's First Hour (£179) lays out exactly what an executor needs to do, in order, so nothing gets missed. There's nothing to buy in the first hour; this is here for the days ahead.
Executor's First HourInformational, not legal or financial advice. This guide covers England and Wales; Scotland and Northern Ireland differ. Always confirm current rules and figures at GOV.UK before acting.