Notification of death or serious injury

[gareth_r]

In films and TV shows, the American police always pick up the phone to notify the family of a death, even of a murder, whereas UK shows (accurately, I assume) show the notification being made by the police from the family's local force.

Is that really the way other countries do it?

For that matter, is it true that a police officer always knocks on the door in the UK? Would notification of life-threatening injury also be made in person?

Just idle curiosity, really. This came up in conversation because, many years ago, a Canadian friend of my wife got into trouble in her first week as a nurse in a UK hospital because she told a relative who had 'phoned the ward that a patient had died. Apparently that was OK in Canada, where she trained, but in the UK the policy is to say something along the lines of "Your relative has taken a turn for the worse, you should visit as soon as possible.".

[gareth_r]

Thank you all.

If it's true that the Americans use the phone rather than personal notification by the local police, I think our system is better, not least because of the possible reaction of the relative.

I inferred from a couple of the replies that the notification is always made by a uniformed officer?

[gareth_r]

Meoricin said:

gareth_r said:

Thank you all.

If it's true that the Americans use the phone rather than personal notification by the local police, I think our system is better, not least because of the possible reaction of the relative.

I inferred from a couple of the replies that the notification is always made by a uniformed officer?

Are you basing this assumption that the Americans use the phone purely on television shows?

If so, they show a visit to the door in Dexter, at least - I'm sure there are other shows that show this.

Yes, that was the original question, whether the US police use the phone.