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The care and support that people receive at the time of their bereavement can affect the whole bereavement process. The Chief Medical Officer has highlighted the need for NHS Trusts to put in place systems, policies and practices to ensure they provide the best possible bereavement service for those whose loved ones have died in hospital. These pages provide information and advice to help the NHS develop or improve the services it provides for those who have been bereaved.
The Department of Health and the Bereavement Services Association have now jointly run five workshops for NHS staff based on the publication "When a Patient Dies : Advice on Developing Bereavement Services in the NHS". These took place in Manchester, Cambridge, Newcastle, Bristol and Birmingham. A summary of the key messages from the workshops will appear here shortly. Information about the Bereavement Services Association can be obtained from:
Providing sensitive and appropriate care to the relatives and carers of dying or deceased patients is crucially important. Following consultation, the Department has now issued advice on developing bereavement services in the NHS. The advice describes the basic elements required to provide an appropriate service to this group of people. It also describes experiences of bereaved people and practical solutions already in place in hospitals around the country to deal with these various experiences. This advice supersedes HSG (92)8 and HSG (97)43.
Many thanks to all those who provided information for this survey. A summary report of the main findings of the survey can be found at the link below. The survey focussed on looking at the extent of bereavement services, how they are staffed and how they fit into the overall provision of service across a Trust. This information builds on the 2001 survey and will contribute to the continuing work of the Department to help NHS Trusts develop bereavement services.
In line with the Chief Medical Officer’s recommendations to improve public understanding of the post mortem process, the Department of Health has commissioned and produced a short video, entitled Respect for the Dead, Care for the Living.
Successful applicants for DH funding to support the development and implementation of bereavement training across the NHS and voluntary sector (Chief Executive’s Bulletin of 27 May 2004 refers).
Related websites offering bereavement advice and support, some of which are run by charitable trusts.