Bereavement In the unhappy event that you suffer a bereavement, there are certain practical steps that must be taken. The GP has to be notified as soon as possible so that they can certify the cause of death and arrange the necessary forms and death certificate. If the death occurred suddenly or was unexplained, and the doctor had not seen the deceased within the last 14 days, then they may refer the death to the coroner. If this is the case the coroner will arrange for the deceased to be moved to the mortuary. If the coroner is not called, a funeral director must be contacted. He is available for help and advice 24 hours per day. The doctor may visit the family/next of kin during the following few days for a bereavement visit. We offer a supportive, confidential bereavement counselling service with a health visitor or district nurse trained in this field. Please feel free to contact direct on 603868 or through the surgery.