INFORMATION AND ADVICE FOR BEREAVED FAMILIES AND FRIENDS

Transcription

1 INFORMATION AND ADVICE FOR BEREAVED FAMILIES AND FRIENDS Bereavement Officer Patient Experience Team Warwick Hospital Lakin Road Warwick CV34 5BW Telephone x 8131

2 What this booklet is for? These notes are provided as practical guidance for the first formal steps you need to take following the death of your relative or friend. Bereavement Co-ordinator The hospital has a designated member of staff who deals with matters following a death, and can provide you with advice and guidance. The Bereavement Coordinator may be contacted on extension 8131, this number has a 24 hour answering service, please leave a message to enable your call to be returned. Collecting the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death When someone dies, the doctor or sometimes the coroner has to issue a medical certificate giving the cause of death. You will need this before the death can be registered with the Registrar, therefore we advise you not to make and appointment with the registration office until you have been notified the certificate is available. Once the doctors have prepared the certificate you will be contacted by the Bereavement Co-ordinator who arrange a convenient time for you to collect the certificate. Collecting property and valuables Any property or valuables left at the hospital will be kept safely. Arrangements can be made with the Bereavement Co-ordinator for these to be given to you when you return to the hospital to collect the certificate. Unfortunately it is not possible to store property after 30 days and arrangements should be made for collection prior to this time. Is a post mortem required? Occasionally a doctor may ask for a post mortem examination to be carried out in order to understand more clearly what happened. If the doctor would like a hospital post mortem to be carried out, s/he must discuss this with the next of kin and request their permission. You will be invited to attend the hospital and meet with the Doctor and the Bereavement Coordinator, at this meeting the request for post mortem will be explained and your questions will be answered before you are asked to sign a consent form.

3 When the Coroner has to be involved The other instance when a post mortem may be required is where the Coroner has had to be involved, for example when the death has happened unexpectedly, or the cause of death is unknown. The Coroner s job is to discover, amongst other things, exactly what caused the death and has the power in law to order that a post mortem should be carried out. If this is the case, the Coroner s Office will get in touch with you directly and explain clearly what happens and why. Viewing in the Hospital Chapel of Rest Saying goodbye to the one you love is important. It can be distressing, but it often helps to see the person who has died. Usually, viewings take place at the funeral directors. If however, you wish see your relative at the hospital please advice the Bereavement Co-ordinator who will arrange an appointment, viewings are usually held in the afternoon Monday to Friday. Registering the Death Once you have the medical certificate you will need to take it to the Register Office, usually within five days of the death. All Register Offices operate an appointment system, please telephone to make an appointment before attending to prevent unnecessary waiting. Please note you may not register the death unless the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death has been issued to you as you will need to take the certificate with you when you attend the Register Office. The registration should take approximately 40 minutes. However, in some circumstances the Registrar may have to refer to the Coroner which may result in further time being necessary. It is preferable that persons registering a death do so in the registration district in which the death occurred to avoid delay and enable certificates to be obtained at time of registration. Warwickshire Register Offices are located at: Warwick Stratford upon Avon Rugby Bedworth

4 Nuneaton If it is not convenient for you to visit the Register Office for the district where the death took place, you can go to any other Register Office in England and Wales to make a declaration of the death. Please contact your nearest office for further information. The Registrar will ask you the following details relating to the deceased: Full name Any surname previously used, including maiden name Date and place of birth Occupation Usual address The full name, date of birth and occupation of his/her spouse or civil partner The following documents are helpful to take when registering the death, but please do not worry if you cannot find them: Medical card Birth certificate Marriage certificate The Registrar will issue you with a Green Form (the Certificate for Burial or Cremation) this form is to be taken to the funeral director. The Registration Service provide a Tell us Once Service and can inform government organisations about the death on your behalf. In order to take up the Tell Us Once service on the day you register the death, you will need to take some additional information with you about the person who has died: National Insurance Number Details of any benefits or services they were receiving Driving licence Passport or passport number Blue disabled parking badge National Insurance Number of his/her spouse or civil partner

5 Death Certificates The Registrar can also provide you with a death certificate, there is a fee of 4.00 per copy. The death certificate will be required by banks, building societies, solicitors or for pension claims and some insurance claims. You may therefore need to purchase more than one copy. Beginning the Funeral Arrangements Once you have registered the death, you will need to talk to a Funeral Director about the arrangements you would like to make. If you are planning a cremation please advise the hospital. The Funeral Director will need the green form given to you by the Registrar before they can complete all the arrangements. If you have any worries at all about the cost of the funeral, please ask for advice before making arrangements from, the Funeral Director, the Social Worker, Bereavement and Patient Advice Liaison Service at the Hospital, or your own Benefit Office. Wills and Estates, costs and expenses It is important to seek a solicitor s advice over any questions about a will or about the estate of the person who has died. It is also vital to make sure the Benefits Agency, together with any insurance companies, banks and building societies, know what has happened.

6 Checklist The list below provides details of people you will be in contact with over the coming days. Who to see or contact The Hospital Bereavement Co-ordinator Registrar of Births, Marriages and Deaths. The Funeral Director A Minister, Vicar or Faith Representative What to do or comments Contact will be made by the Bereavement Co-ordinator to arrange collection of certificate and any belongings Book an appointment to register the death, take along the medical certificate of cause of death along with details on place of birth and marriage. You may talk to the Funeral Director as soon as you want but you will need to provide them with the green form which is issued by the registrar. The Hospital Chaplain is always willing to assist or advice if you do not know a Minister.

7 Further Advice and Support At each point over the next few days there will be people who are able to provide support and advice including the funeral director, the person conducting the funeral service, your own family doctor as well as hospital staff and bereavement care agencies. Below is a list of services and their contact details: Bereavement Officer Warwick Hospital (between Physiotherapy & Dugdale Ward) extn 8131 Patient Advice & Liaison Manager Warwick Hospital (next to help desk by main entrance) (24 hour answerphone) (24 hour answerphone) Coroner s Office Warwickshire Registration Service The Justice Centre, Leamington Spa , or The Pension Service The Benefits Agency Helpline Warwick District Council Probate and Inheritance Tax Helpline Stratford on Avon District Council Age UK 8-10 Clemens Street, Leamington Spa Cruse Bereavement Care 126 Sheen Road, Richmond on Thames The Child Bereavement Charity

8 Your comments To enable us to improve our services to bereaved families in future we would find it very beneficial to receive your feedback, and would be grateful if you would complete the information below: Did you find the information in the booklet useful? YES / NO At what point was you given the booklet? Did a member of staff go through the contents with you? Were you able to stay with your child as long as you needed? Did you feel supported by the staff? YES / NO YES / NO YES / NO Any other comments: If there is anything else you feel the hospital could have done to support you? Please tear out page and return to: Bereavement Co-ordinator, Warwick Hospital, Lakin Road, Warwick, CV35 8EN Alternatively we welcome both your comments and compliments about the services provided by the Trust. You may wish to write to:- Chief Executive South Warwickshire General Hospitals NHS Trust Warwick Hospital Lakin Road Warwick CV34 5BW

9 Notes

10 As a key provider of acute healthcare and as an employer, the Trust has a statutory obligation to promote and respect equality and human rights. This is set out in various pieces of legislation including: Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000, Disability Discrimination Act (2005), Sex Discrimination Act (1975) and the Age Discrimination Act (2006). Our information for patients can also be made available in other languages, Braille, audio tape, disk or in large print. May 2008 Review date May 2011 Catalogue Number SWH