We have a 4 day period between the day of a death and being able to accept.
1. Arrange for the deceased to be kept under refrigerated conditions.
If death occurs in a hospital, the hospital staff will arrange for the deceased to be taken to the hospital mortuary. The body will be held under refrigerated conditions.
If death occurs at home or at a nursing home, please contact a funeral director of your choice to collect the deceased and take them to a Chapel of Rest. The deceased should be kept under refrigerated conditions until the department is able to make a decision about the donation.
2. Telephone the University of Liverpool on 0151 794 5442.
The Bequeathal Office, is open Monday to Friday 9.30am to 4.30pm.
If your call falls within these hours and is unanswered due to a busy line, we will promptly return your call upon receiving your message. Outside of these hours, a voicemail service is available, and you can leave your message by following the recorded instructions. Our team will consider your offer of bequest as soon as the office reopens.
We will need to ask you details about the deceased, including the name and contact number for their usual GP. It will be helpful if you have this information to hand.
We will contact the attending doctor of the deceased to assess the acceptibility of the body donation. We will promptly communication our decision to you once it has been made.
3. Make an appointment with the registrar to register the death.
You do not need to wait until a final decision has been reached to do this. Register the death with the registrar and tell them of the wishes of the deceased. The registrar will issue a green form (Certificate of Burial or Cremation) and copies of the Death Certificate. The Registrar should email a copy of the green form to bodydonation@liverpool.ac.uk if the offer of bequeathal is accepted.
If the offer of Bequeathal is accepted:
Our undertaker will collect the Donor once we have received the green form and a copy of the medical certificate of the cause of death (MCCD). These documents are usually sent to us by the Registrar after registering the death. Once the body has arrived safely at the University, we will send you a form to complete. This includes questions about the eventual funeral and our Thanksgiving service.
If an offer of Bequeathal is not accepted:
Proceed with normal arrangements for burial or cremation. It is with regret that the University cannot make any financial contribution to these private arrangements.
Body Donation Booklet for Relatives - information for families whose loved ones have registered a wish to donate their body after death and is intended to give practical advice for when that time comes.
Click here if you would like to read about our Service of Thanksgiving.
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