Speak to Bereavement Services
The Bereavement Services team will guide you through the hospital process and work with the clinical teams to make sure the necessary paperwork is completed.
St George’s Hospital · Tooting
When someone dies at St George’s Hospital, Tooting
If someone close to you has died at St George’s Hospital in Tooting, the hospital’s Bereavement Services team will help with the practical steps that follow. This guide explains who to contact, how the Medical Examiner process works, where the death is registered and when a funeral director can bring the person into their care.
You do not need to know what kind of funeral you want before speaking to a funeral director. You can contact Poetic Endings at any stage if you would like to ask a question or appoint us.
The first thing to know
Call Bereavement Services when you are ready
St George’s Bereavement Services team works with the clinical teams to make sure the necessary steps and paperwork are completed after a death. The hospital asks people to call at their earliest convenience and to make an appointment before visiting.
An independent Medical Examiner reviews the proposed cause of death unless the death needs to be investigated by the coroner. The Medical Examiner team may contact the nominated person to explain the recorded cause of death and offer an opportunity to ask questions or raise concerns.
You can begin speaking to a funeral director while this is taking place. You do not need to wait until the death has been registered or decide exactly what kind of funeral you want before making contact.
St George’s Bereavement Services
The current hospital page lists three numbers: 020 8725 3410, 020 8725 3411 and 020 8725 0604. The office is open 9am–4pm Monday to Friday, excluding bank holidays. You can also email Bereavement.Services@stgeorges.nhs.uk.
After a death at St George’s
What happens next?
The exact timing varies, particularly if the coroner needs to be involved. These are the usual steps after an adult dies at St George’s Hospital.
The Medical Examiner reviews the death
An independent Medical Examiner scrutinises the proposed cause of death. The service at St George’s covers hospital deaths as well as community deaths in Merton and Wandsworth.
The paperwork is sent to Wandsworth
If the death is not being investigated by the coroner, the Medical Examiner confirms the cause of death and sends the necessary paperwork to Wandsworth Register Office.
You can choose a funeral director
You can contact funeral directors while the hospital and registration process is taking place. You can ask questions, compare estimates and decide who you would like to look after the person who has died and arrange the funeral.
The person can leave the hospital
Once the necessary paperwork is complete and St George’s is able to release the person who has died, the chosen funeral director arranges the transfer with the hospital.
Useful contacts
Who to contact after a death at St George’s Hospital
Bereavement Services is normally the best starting point. The Medical Examiner Office and hospital switchboard also publish current contact details.
Bereavement Services
Bereavement.Services@stgeorges.nhs.uk
Open Monday to Friday, 9am–4pm, excluding bank holidays.
Medical Examiner Office
Medicalexaminer@stgeorges.nhs.uk
NHS England lists this service as covering deaths at St George’s and community deaths in Merton and Wandsworth.
Hospital switchboard
The switchboard is available 24 hours a day.
Use it if you need another St George’s service or urgent chaplaincy support.
Registration
Registering a death at St George’s Hospital
St George’s Hospital is in the London Borough of Wandsworth, so a death there is normally registered with Wandsworth Register Office.
Wandsworth Council says it can only book the registration appointment once it has received the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death or the relevant documentation from the coroner. The Medical Examiner or coroner will contact the nominated person to confirm the cause of death and send the documents to the register office.
Registration is by appointment, Monday to Friday between 9am and 4.30pm. After registration, Wandsworth emails the green certificate for burial or cremation directly to the funeral director you have chosen.
Register a death in Wandsworth
Hospital viewing
Can I visit the person who has died at St George’s?
Yes, viewing can be arranged. The practical bereavement guide currently linked from St George’s Bereavement Services page lists a Viewing Suite in the basement of Jenner Wing and gives 020 8725 5240 for appointments.
Because that viewing information is contained in an older hospital booklet, we recommend confirming the current arrangements with Bereavement Services before travelling.
If you would rather wait until the person is in the care of your funeral director, that is also an option. At Poetic Endings, private visits take place at our Forest Hill funeral home by appointment.
Call Bereavement Services: 020 8725 3410
Choosing a funeral director
You can choose whichever funeral director you want
You do not need to use a particular funeral director because the person died at St George’s Hospital.
You may want to speak to more than one funeral director, compare estimates or simply decide who you feel most comfortable dealing with. Asking for information does not commit you to using someone.
It is also fine not to know what kind of funeral you want yet. You can deal with the practical transfer into a funeral director’s care first and make the other choices in your own time.
Ask what the estimate includes
A funeral director should explain their own fee as well as any crematorium, cemetery, church or other third-party charges.
Ask where the person will be cared for
You can ask where the mortuary is, who will be looking after the person who has died and whether private visits can be arranged.
Choose someone you can speak openly with
You should feel able to ask practical questions, discuss costs and talk about what you would like the funeral to be.
If you choose Poetic Endings
We can arrange the transfer from St George’s Hospital
Poetic Endings is an independent funeral director based in Forest Hill. We arrange funerals throughout London, including for people who have died at St George’s Hospital.
Once the hospital is able to release the person who has died, we liaise with the appropriate hospital team and arrange to bring them into our care at our Forest Hill funeral home.
We can then explain the funeral options and costs, prepare a clear estimate, coordinate the arrangements and be there on the day.
Planning the funeral
Where could the funeral take place?
There are cremation and burial options across Wandsworth and South London, as well as churches, natural burial grounds and other venues.
Putney Vale Crematorium
A Wandsworth crematorium with two chapels and extensive cemetery grounds.
Explore London crematoriaWest Norwood Crematorium
A historic South London crematorium and cemetery, with two chapels and established grounds.
Explore West NorwoodAlternative funeral venues
A funeral ceremony can also take place in a church, hall, gallery or another suitable setting before a burial or cremation.
Explore funeral venues
Practical questions
After a death at St George’s Hospital
You are welcome to call us with a question even if you have not decided whether you would like Poetic Endings to arrange the funeral.
What happens when someone dies at St George’s Hospital?
St George’s Bereavement Services works with the clinical teams to make sure the necessary paperwork is completed. An independent Medical Examiner reviews the proposed cause of death unless the case needs to be referred to the coroner. Once the documentation has reached Wandsworth Register Office, the death can be registered and the person can later be released to the chosen funeral director.
How do I contact St George’s Hospital Bereavement Services?
Call 020 8725 3410, 020 8725 3411 or 020 8725 0604. The office is open Monday to Friday from 9am to 4pm, excluding bank holidays. You can also email Bereavement.Services@stgeorges.nhs.uk.
How do I contact the Medical Examiner at St George’s?
NHS England lists the St George’s Medical Examiner Office on 020 8725 4317. The email address is Medicalexaminer@stgeorges.nhs.uk.
Where do I register a death after someone dies at St George’s Hospital?
The death is normally registered with Wandsworth Register Office because St George’s Hospital is in the London Borough of Wandsworth. You can book once the Register Office has received the Medical Examiner or coroner documentation.
Do I need to wait until the death is registered before speaking to a funeral director?
No. You can contact funeral directors and begin talking about the arrangements while the hospital and Medical Examiner process is taking place. The person who has died will remain in the hospital’s care until the necessary release arrangements are complete.
Can I visit the person who has died at St George’s Hospital?
Yes. St George’s currently links to a practical bereavement guide which lists a hospital Viewing Suite and 020 8725 5240 for appointments. Because that guide is older, call Bereavement Services first to confirm the current viewing arrangements before travelling.
What happens if the coroner is involved?
If the death is referred to the coroner, the registration and release process may take a different route and may take longer. You can still speak to a funeral director while the coroner’s work is taking place.
What if a burial needs to happen quickly for religious reasons?
Wandsworth provides an out-of-hours Emergency Burial Certificate Service on Saturdays, Sundays and bank holidays between 9am and 11am where a burial is due to take place within 24 hours and the necessary medical paperwork has been received. The council emergency switchboard number is 020 8871 6000.
Is spiritual or pastoral support available at St George’s?
Yes. St George’s chaplaincy supports people of any faith background or none. Prayer spaces include Muslim prayer rooms, a multifaith room and a Christian chapel, which are open for private prayer 24 hours a day. You can request a chaplain through the hospital switchboard on 020 8672 1255.
Can Poetic Endings collect someone from St George’s Hospital?
Yes. Once St George’s is able to release the person who has died, we can liaise with the hospital and arrange to bring them into our care at our Forest Hill funeral home.
Poetic Endings · Forest Hill
Would you like to talk to us?
If someone has died at St George’s Hospital, you can call with a practical question, ask us to arrange the transfer into our care, or start talking about the funeral. You do not need to have everything decided first.
Hospital information checked 31 October 2026 against St George’s University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, NHS England and Wandsworth Council guidance. Poetic Endings is independent of St George’s University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. Viewing information is contained in an older St George’s booklet still linked from the Trust’s current bereavement page, so please confirm current arrangements with St George’s Bereavement Services before travelling.