How do the Police trace NoK?

[BorgQueen]

If there is a fatal accident/ sudden death?
Given that most people have security on their phones etc. and a lot of people have their fb locked down, that’s if they even have ID on them, I often dont.
It’s no longer a case of them going to someone’s house and finding a telephone numbers book by the phone.
I have an emergency contacts list in my phone that can be accessed by anyone but how many people think to set that up?
I can’t remember if GPs have NoK info on your records, although obviously they know who else is registered at your address.
Do they check Electoral rolls/ credit ref agencies to see if there’s a financial link with another person?
I woke up thinking about this for some unknown reason, wondering how they do it and how long it takes.

My friend has an emergency contact as a screensaver on her phone

I don’t think those work if you live alone though.

Car reg - yes, in the case of an RTC. But not everyone drives or is in their car if they have another kind of accident or fall ill when out and about.

And cards in wallet or purse would work, provided no scrote has stolen the wallet, purse, handbag or backpack. It does happen - I even had my purse stolen when I was trying to help someone.

That is really scary. So a person who is estranged from their parents could find their parents and not their trusted friend making important healthcare decisions for them.

There are a myriad methods available.

A car is registered to a name and address, insurance has names, dates of birth and addresses listed. Personal ID like driving licences, college ID, work ID is often in a purse or wallet. Bank cards mean you can speak to the bank about the account holder.

Mobile phones frequently have emergency contact details on the front screen or the handset memory can be downloaded if needed.

Houses can indeed be searched for paperwork, names, phone numbers, addresses which might indicate NOK but it may be the Coroners Officers who do that if it's not a suspicious death.

All these lines of enquiry can lead to a person who ends up being NOK or even just someone who can point you to the right person.

Then it's neighbours, landlords, and finally media / social media appeals if you're at the point of no other lines of enquiry.

I was thinking similar.

Surely my next of kin is who I propose and have already asked to be my nok.

Otherwise it could be say my brother who has ill intent towards me. Hence me asking a.n.other to be my nok. Making sure to bypass my brother.

I doht have a brother for clarity.

When my brother died they went to the address listed on his driving license.

With most phones now you can add a couple of emergncy contacts that can be called without needing to unlock the phone. - would your sister let you add your number as one of those?

If you google the phone model and emergency contact it should be fialry easy to set up

Something in a purse or wallet may lead to their home address, ie driving licence, credit card (address can be found via the bank etc.

Or car log book.

They could also contact their phone provider.

Your NOK and your “nearest relative” for the purposes of the Mental Health Act don’t have to be the same person. @ilikecatsandponies is right that the estranged parent would be consulted rather than the trusted friend. A court order is needed to change nearest relatives and this can be quite complicated and expensive. The order of nearest relative is also really specific; I recently had a patient who had several brothers, some older and some younger. Although he was living with one brother and had this brother down as NOK, another brother who was older was actually the nearest relative and so had to take these responsibilities despite being further away both emotionally and literally.

Then what is the point of any of us filling out paperwork with nok of our choice on it when that will be dismissed.

It won't be dismissed at face value, such as who to contact in an emergency to tell them you're unconscious or to ask them to bring in clothes etc, but if it becomes a contentious area, more conversations will be had and if needs be, legal action put in place by the hospital to legally protect themselves.

@Winnading well, I do think that it is importing to remember that this is the case only when someone is sectioned. In most healthcare situations, the NOK paperwork absolutely is honoured. In order to be sectioned under the Mental Health Act someone does have to be very mentally unwell, and many individuals will be incapable or unwilling to appoint an appropriate NOK, while also being vulnerable to exploitation; the “nearest relative” clause allows family members to be involved in someone’s care without needing to be explicitly chosen. There’s a bit more information here https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/legal-rights/nearest-relative/overview/

You usually would have to confirm your next of kin any time you attend the hosp. I know myself and DH have been asked every time

Occasionally police will make an appeal for relatives in the case of a death.

i recognised one of my mothers former colleagues so my mother contacted police with the info she had eg a daughter who lives in x area

Fair enough, I was thinking online with the OP and some kind of accident, not solely about when sectioning a person.

I still have issues though with the nok in mental health care.

Here is the list from the link you posted.

1. List of who your nearest relative isHusband, wife or civil partner (including cohabitee for more than 6 months).
2. Son or daughter
3. Father or mother (an unmarried father must have parental responsibility in order to be nearest relative)
4. Brother or sister
5. Grandparent
6. Grandchild
7. Uncle or aunt
8. Nephew or niece

I live alone for these purposes, so no nok
We will say I dont have children anymore, so no nok there.
Both parents have died, so no nok there.
Siblings, I was an only child, so no nok there.
No living grandparents, no grandchildren, no uncles or aunts and obviously no niblings. So no nok there.

I do have 3 cousins I havent spoken to in many years. I would hate to think they would be allowed to choose what happens to me, I didn't like them when I was a child, dont imagine they will have changed much.

So would it be a case of go to court for some kind of protection?

@Winnading IME, you would be recorded as having ‘no known living nearest relative’ and the nearest relative role would be taken by a social worker. If you have people that you would want to be involved in your care, then the ward would be happy to contact them and share whatever information you choose but they would not have the rights of a nearest relative. If you want to appoint a nearest relative then you can do so through the civil courts, but this costs money. I can understand why you’re concerned though.

The one I work at doesn't.

Then the sensible thing to do is to leave an envelope labelled with In The Event Of My Death or Sister's Death

Inside put your details.

My mum lives alone. She has this lions emergency thing.

It's a small lidded tube that goes in the fridge door with detail such as medicine and NOK.

There is a small white sticker with green cross that goes on the inside of the front door to alert emergency service that the tub is there. It's kept in the fridge as this a universally accessible location

Google Lions Message in a bottle

Should have read the full thread!

Our local Police Facebook page sometimes post "looking for next of kin" of "Joe Bloggs" however they know it's Joe Bloggs.

Not all surgeries have next of kin details. Our surgery has only recently included this on new patient's questionnaires.

Just put your details in an envelope for her to pop in a drawer.

Surely, if someone is found dead in a house at some point they'll go through the drawers for any paperwork and Will info.

We have dog tags with our telephone numbers on our house keys, as a just incase measure. I have ice set up on my phone. Dh probably doesn’t, but he always carries id and I don’t - I rarely carry a phone. Both employers have each other’s relevant details.

A pp linked to the pot in the fridge emergency pod. We have used that for pil. Worked well.

Thanks for the info.