Death Registration, Funeral Arrangements & Bereavement Support – Information for Bereaved Families
If you’ve experienced a bereavement, we understand that this is a difficult time and would like to offer you our deepest condolences.
The information below will hopefully guide you through what happens next.
Registering the death
A doctor will complete the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death which is needed to register the death. Deaths in Scotland are mostly registered over the telephone, so you may no longer be required to attend the registrar’s office to do this, although some offices are still doing face to face appointments. Instead of collecting the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death yourself, the doctor will arrange for the certificate to be emailed to the registration office of your choice.
If you are using a local registration office (in Edinburgh, Midlothian, East Lothian or West Lothian), a member of the registration team will contact you to guide you through the registration process. If you are using an office in a different part of Scotland, you may need to contact the office yourself. Contact details can be found at:
https://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/files/registration/RegOfficeContacts.pdf
Once the registration is complete, a Form 14 can be sent electronically to your chosen Funeral Director to allow the funeral to proceed. An abbreviated certificate (free of charge) and any full copies you wish to purchase will be posted to you.
Should you have any difficulties with registering the death, please speak to your chosen Funeral Director who may be able to assist. You can also contact the NHS Lothian Bereavement Service (contact details below). Contact details for local registration offices are:
City of Edinburgh Council: registrars.city@edinburgh.gov.uk
West Lothian Council: registration@westlothian.gov.uk
Midlothian Council: registrar@midlothian.gov.uk
East Lothian Council: haddingtonregistrars@eastlothian.gov.uk
Further Information, Funeral arrangements and Bereavement Support
If you need any further advice or if you’re having difficulty with arrangements (e.g. due to illness, financial or practical issues) please contact the Bereavement Service on 0131 242 6995 so we can try to help. If we’re not able to answer your call immediately, please leave a message with your name and contact telephone number. One of the team will call you back as soon as possible. We can also be contacted by email: bereavement.service@nhslothian.scot.nhs.uk.
The Support Services page has details of other organisations that can provide emotional, practical and financial assistance following a bereavement.
