My sister-in-law died in a nursing home in London last year. Her house had been sold before she died, and the will is fairly straightforward, so we are concerned at the length of time it is taking to wind up her estate. My wife and I are joint executors together with a solicitor in London.
As executors you are entitled to take a hand in administering the estate, subject to the terms of the will. It sounds as though you should make an appointment to see the solicitor concerned and find out what still needs to be done. There may be valid reasons for the delay: it’s possible, for instance, that the local authority will have a claim on the estate for nursing home fees incurred.