Can you have more than one next of kin in the UK?

What "next of kin" means in hospital

An NHS legal update from University Hospital Southampton puts it plainly: next of kin has no legal status, being undefined in English law. Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust's leaflet for patients explains how it works in practice. You're asked to name a next of kin when you're admitted. If you can't speak for yourself, they're the person staff turn to for your views on your care, and after a death they're consulted about arrangements. But they can't consent to or refuse treatment for you: the final decision rests with the clinician in charge.

Who can it be?

Anyone you choose. It doesn't have to be a blood relative or a spouse: a partner, a close friend or a neighbour can all be named. Ask them first, and make sure they know your wishes.

Can you name more than one?

Because it isn't a legal role, nothing stops you giving a hospital or care home more than one name. What matters is what their form and system allow, and who they ring first. Many record one next of kin and other contacts separately. Ask the ward or the home how many people they'll record, and who they'll try if the first doesn't answer.

Care homes are not obliged to tell more than one relative. In a 2021 decision, the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman found no requirement for a care home to contact more than one family member, and accepted that homes don't have the capacity to. So it's worth agreeing in your family who the main contact is, and how news gets passed on.

One practical tip from the NHS

Hospital switchboards may call from a number that doesn't show. Royal Berkshire's leaflet suggests telling your next of kin they've been named, because if their phone rejects anonymous calls, the hospital may not get through. They may need to give an alternative number.

If you want someone to have a legal say

A lasting power of attorney for health and welfare lets you choose someone who can make decisions about your care if you become unable to make them yourself. It's made under the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and registered with the Office of the Public Guardian. GOV.UK explains how to make one.

Where MyCirCall fits

If the worry is "they'll ring one person and that person won't answer", MyCirCall gives you one UK mobile number that rings several family members at the same time. The first to answer and press 5 takes the call. It doesn't change who your next of kin is, or who can make decisions for you.

MyCirCall is not an emergency service. In an emergency, always call 999 or 112.

Sources

• University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, Is there a role for next of kin? (2019)
• Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust, Your next of kin: information for patients, relatives and carers (November 2023)
• Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman, decision 21 004 861 (21 December 2021)
• GOV.UK, Make, register or end a lasting power of attorney

Sources checked on 16 October 2026. Each organisation's own guidance can change, so check with your school, care home or hospital for how they work.