If someone close to you has just died, the first thing to do is call us on 01922 438503, any hour of the day or night. We will bring your loved one into our care, guide you through registering the death, and begin arranging the funeral according to your faith. You do not need to have anything ready.
Call 01922 438503 nowFree interim advice, 24 hours a day — in English, Hindi or Punjabi.
In the first hours, very little needs to happen quickly beyond one phone call to us. The steps below explain what usually happens and where a doctor or the authorities are involved. We will walk beside you through each one, at your own pace.
Call us first, at any hour. If the death was expected we can usually bring your loved one into our care straight away. We will explain everything that happens next in plain language, in English, Hindi or Punjabi — and there is no charge or obligation simply to talk to us.
A death must be verified by a medical professional. If your loved one died at home, call their GP or 111; if in hospital, a hospice or a care home, the staff there will arrange this. It is required before your loved one can be brought into our care.
Once the death has been verified, we collect your loved one gently and respectfully, at any time of day or night, and care for them at our premises until the funeral. You are welcome to ask for same-sex professionals to tend to your loved one.
The doctor issues a medical certificate of cause of death (unless the coroner is involved). You will need this to register the death. If your loved one died in hospital, the bereavement or general office will tell you how to collect it.
The death is registered at the local register office, usually within five days. We will tell you exactly what to bring and can guide you through booking the appointment so nothing is confusing or missed.
We sit with you to plan the funeral around your traditions, timing and wishes — the ceremony, the rites, the crematorium and anything specific to your family.
The very first step depends on where your loved one has died. Whatever the situation, you can call us at any point for free, unhurried advice — and the choice of funeral director is always, entirely, yours.
If a death is unexpected, call 999. The ambulance service will confirm the death and the police may make routine enquiries. They may take your loved one to the local mortuary, or arrange contracted funeral directors to do so while the coroner decides whether a post-mortem is needed — you are under no obligation to those directors and will not be charged by them. You are free to give our details instead. If the death was expected during an illness, call the GP or 111 first, then call us.
If your loved one dies in hospital, the staff will care for them and contact the next of kin. The hospital’s bereavement or general office will guide you on collecting the medical certificate. Hospital staff are not permitted to influence your choice of funeral director — that decision is entirely yours, and you can call us straight away.
In a hospice or care home, the staff will arrange for the death to be verified and will support you with the first steps. As with a hospital, no one may direct your choice of funeral director. Call us whenever you are ready and we will take things from there.
In England a death is normally registered within five days at the register office for the area where the person died. Families across Birmingham and the West Midlands register at their local office — for example Walsall, Wolverhampton, Sandwell, Dudley or Birmingham. You book an appointment, take the medical certificate of cause of death, and the registrar will ask for a few details about your loved one.
What the registrar will usually ask for:
The registrar gives you the certified copies of the death certificate and the green form (the certificate for burial or cremation) that lets the funeral go ahead. If the death has been referred to the coroner — for example when it was sudden or the cause is not yet clear — registration may wait until the coroner has finished. We will keep you informed at every stage and can tell you exactly what to bring.
Once you have called us, the practical work becomes ours. We handle the tasks that feel overwhelming so your family can be together.
In Hindu and Sikh tradition the cremation is usually held as soon as possible, often within a few days. We understand how important this is. We work quickly and sensitively — liaising with the crematorium, your priest or granthi and the register office — to arrange the funeral within the timescale your faith calls for, alongside the necessary medical and registration steps, so nothing is rushed and nothing is missed.
“When you call us, you are not calling a stranger. We have cared for the Asian community here for more than a decade, and I promise you will be guided gently through every step, in your own language and at your own pace. Please pick up the phone whenever you are ready, day or night. You do not have to carry this alone.”
— Meera Bhanot, founder, The Indian Funeral Company
Call us on 01922 438503. We are available 24 hours a day. If a death is unexpected at home, call 999 first; if it was expected, call the GP or 111 so a doctor can verify it; in a hospital, hospice or care home, the staff arrange that. Once the death is verified, we can bring your loved one into our care.
No. Beyond one call to us, nothing has to be arranged urgently. We can bring your loved one into our care at any hour, and everything else — registering the death and planning the funeral — can be done over the following days.
No. If the ambulance service arranges for contracted funeral directors to move your loved one while the coroner decides on a post-mortem, you are under no obligation to them and will not be charged by them. The choice of funeral director is always yours. You can give the ambulance service our details, or call us afterwards and we will take over.
A death is registered at the local register office for the area where the person died — for example Walsall, Wolverhampton, Sandwell, Dudley or Birmingham — usually within five days. You will need the medical certificate of cause of death from the doctor, and details such as the person’s full name, date and place of birth and last address. We will explain what to bring and can help you book the appointment.
We understand that Hindu and Sikh families often wish to hold the funeral as soon as possible, often within a few days. We work to arrange things promptly, liaising with the crematorium, your priest or granthi and the registrar, and will do everything we can to respect the timing your faith calls for, alongside the necessary medical and registration steps.
Call us and we will take the first steps with you. There is no charge and no obligation to speak to us.
Call 01922 438503 — 24/7