South Tyneside NHS Foundation Trust NHS HELPING YOU COPE WITH BEREAVEMENT
HELPING YOU COPE WITH BEREAVEMENT Our staff would like to express their sincere sympathy to you and your family, and assure you of their support and assistance at this time. You may be feeling bewildered and distressed; therefore this booklet aims to provide some useful advice to help guide you through some of the practical stages following your bereavement. We have also included a list of useful telephone numbers at the back of this booklet, which may be of some assistance to you. If you have any queries after reading this booklet, do not hesitate to contact our Patient Welfare Officers who will be pleased to assist you. They are available Monday to Friday, 9.00am to 4.00pm (except bank holidays) on the following telephone number: South Tyneside District Hospital: (0191) 202 4005 If you need to speak to someone outside of these hours, please contact the relevant ward or department and speak to the person in charge. You will find various adverts in the pages of this booklet. Any decision you make regarding using these services must be a personal choice. An advert appearing in this booklet does not necessarily mean the hospital Trust has particular knowledge of a firm.
CONTENTS Saying goodbye...1 What to do first...1 Sudden death in Hospital...2 Clothing and Personal Possessions...3 Medical Equipment...3 Tissue Donation...3 Registering the Death... 3 Who can help me arrange the funeral...5 Who can I contact regarding State Benefits...6 Probate and Legal advice...7 Bereavement Support...7 Hospital Chaplaincy...8 Others Considerations...8 What to do with unused Medicines...9 What to do if you Have Concerns regarding your Loved One s in Hospital...10 Useful Contact Numbers for Support...11
SAYING GOODBYE You are able to spend some time with your relative or close friend before you leave today, either in the ward or in the viewing room within the Trust and it is possible to make arrangements to see them again before the funeral is arranged. Please contact the relevant ward or department who will arrange a mutually convenient time for you to visit the viewing room. Once you feel ready to leave the ward/department, the body of the deceased will be transferred to the hospital mortuary. If you know that other close family members will wish to come to the hospital, please inform the staff. You may prefer to visit the chapel of rest at the funeral directors, in order to say your final goodbyes and you can arrange this with your chosen funeral director. WHAT TO DO FIRST The Patient Welfare Officer s role is to collect all of the relevant documents such as the medical death certificate, which you will require to register the death. They will also provide advice concerning any property or valuables, which have been stored safely in the hospital. Please telephone the Patient Welfare Office after 10.00 a.m. on the next working day following the death to make an appointment to visit and they will explain what you need to do next. They are available Monday to Friday, 9.00 a.m, to 4.00 p.m. (except bank holidays) and the telephone number is 0191 202 4005. When you attend for your appointment with the Patient Welfare Officer at South Tyneside District Hospital, please report to the Ingham Wing reception desk. 1
SUDDEN DEATH IN HOSPITAL In all cases of sudden death it is routine practice to inform the Coroner, as he/she must give permission to release the death certificate. The Coroner may require a doctor to examine the deceased (post-mortem) to establish the cause of death before a certificate is issued. A representative from the Coroner s office (usually a uniformed policeman) will visit you in the ward/department or at your home in order to discuss these details. Unexpected death can sometimes delay the release of death documentation and the Patient Welfare Office will keep you informed of this. You may contact the funeral director of your choice immediately, who will guide you expertly through all the arrangements. 2
CLOTHING AND PERSONAL POSSESSIONS Usually items of clothing are left on the deceased. Items that appear to have a value such as cash, keys or jewellery will be placed in the hospital safe (out of hours) or with the Patient Welfare Officer during working hours. Clothing (if required) and Personal Possessions are collected on the day the death Certificate is handed out, which is dealt with by the Patient Welfare department. MEDICAL EQUIPMENT Any medical equipment used during care and attempted resuscitation of the deceased may also be left in place, e.g. intravenous cannula (used for drug administration). TISSUE DONATION If you know of the deceased s wishes regarding human tissue retrieval (organ donation) then it is important that these are discussed with the staff before you go home. In most cases it is possible to respond to these wishes in the case of sudden and unexpected death. REGISTERING THE DEATH It is your duty to register the death within five days. You should contact the Registrar s Office on telephone number 0191 427 7000 to make an appointment. The Registry Office 10 Broughton Road, South Shields Tyne and Wear NE33 2RN They are open: Monday Friday 9am 3.30pm Closed Bank Holidays. 3
GARDEN LANE MOUNT TERRACE CHARLOTTE STREET ST HILDA STREET CROSSGATE FOWLER STREET A183 CLAYPATH LANE WESTOE ROAD P E R CY STREET Leading to South Tyneside District Hospital A183 A1018 South Shields Town Hall WESTOE ROAD ROMILLY STREET A183 BEACH ROAD BOLINGBROKE STREET ANDERSON ST BROUGHTON RD BERKELY ROAD ERSKINE ROAD BEACH ROAD Register Office SALISBURY ROAD BROUGHTON ROAD LYNDHURST ST CANDISH STREET S WOODBINE STREET SELBOURNE ST BROUGHTON RD ERSKINE ROAD ERSKINE ROAD WARTON STREET LADYSMITH STREET BELGRAVE TERRACE MARINE APPROACH North Westoe Cemetery Copyright RNS Publications 2017 The circle on the map above indicates the location of the Registry Office: You can register the death if you are: A relative Present at the time of the death A hospital representative The person instructing the funeral director The Registrar will ask for the following details: The deceased person s date and place of death; you will need to hand in the death certificate The deceased person s full name (and maiden name if applicable) The deceased person s date and place of birth; please take the birth certificate if you have this Their last occupation Their medical card (if it is available) The name, date of birth and occupation of the deceased person s surviving spouse / partner and date of marriage 4
The Registrar will give you a green certificate, which you should hand to your funeral director as soon as possible. This enables the funeral director to proceed with the arrangements. A small charge is made for the Registration of Death Certificate, and for any additional copies you may require, e.g. for insurance purposes. WHO CAN HELP ME TO ARRANGE THE FUNERAL You can contact a Funeral Director 24 hours a day, including weekends. Your chosen Funeral Director will make all of the necessary arrangements for you and advise you regarding procedures and documents you will need as well as agreeing a date and time for the funeral service with you. They will come to your home if you prefer and they will answer any questions you may have on burial or cremation. Most Funeral Directors belong to their National Association which has regulations and standards that must be followed. Your own Minister, Priest or religious leader and the Hospital Chaplaincy Service may also be of great help during this difficult time. The person who arranges the funeral is usually responsible for meeting the costs. This can come from the deceased s estate or any funeral scheme he/she may have subscribed to. Funerals can be expensive although basic costs tend to be similar. However, the final cost can vary considerably. Do not be afraid to mention your budget or obtain estimates from several Funeral Directors. 5
Financial help may be available if you receive certain benefits. Contact the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) before making any arrangements. If the person who has died has no blood next of kin or there are concerns regarding finances or funeral arrangements, please contact the Patient Welfare Office before you make any arrangements and we may be able to offer further advice. WHO CAN I CONTACT REGARDING STATE BENEFITS The Registrar of Births and Deaths will have given you a notification of Death Certificate (white Certificate) and a pre-paid envelope, which you will need to send to the DWP office. If you take up the One Stop Service offered by the Registrar, they will inform the relevant services for you and no form is issued. Further information is available in a DWP booklet what to do after death in England and Wales (D1027) which is available from any DWP office or from the Registrar s office. The number for all advice regarding Bereavement Benefits is 08456088601. 6
PROBATE AND LEGAL ADVICE If you have difficulty in dealing with the deceased s property, possessions or guardianship of their children, you can obtain advice from a solicitor or the Citizens Advice Bureau and you should do this as soon as possible. Probate is a document issued by the Probate Registry confirming that an executor has the right to wind up the estate of the person who has died. The estate is the house, money and savings left by someone who has died (probate may not be necessary if the estate is small). For applications and enquiries relating to probate please call: 03001231072. BEREAVEMENT SUPPORT Grief and loss is a personal journey and you may feel a range of emotions during this time. You may also experience physical problems such as not sleeping and not being able to concentrate. There are a variety of people and organisations who can help you through this time. Your own GP or nurse is available to listen and help, wherever possible and some GP surgeries offer bereavement counselling at their practice. There is also bereavement support offered by the local Coping with Cancer charity; their contact number is 0191 280 5610. Further information about help and support is available at the back of the booklet. 7
HOSPITAL CHAPLAINCY The Chaplaincy Service is available 24 hours a day every day, to offer support and help to all bereaved families. If you wish to contact one of the chaplains or someone from your own faith, please telephone the hospital switchboard on 0191 404 1000 and they will respond quickly to your call. OTHER CONSIDERATIONS You may have to inform the following organisations of the death, though this does not need to be done straight away: The deceased person s GP (home doctor) and dentist Their bank, building society and credit card company Their insurance company The electricity, gas and water companies The local Social Services Department, if the deceased received home care or financial help Any official documents belonging to the deceased will need to be returned. These include items such as their passport, driving licence and any car registration documents. If you have any equipment on loan, e.g. a wheelchair, then you will need to contact the appropriate clinic, hospital or loan equipment department. 8
WHAT TO DO WITH UNUSED MEDICINES Whenever someone dies it is likely that there are unused prescription medicines or tablets which are no longer required. Almost all prescription medicines or tablets can be dangerous if used by someone for whom they have not been prescribed or in a way that has not been agreed with a doctor, nurse or pharmacist. Whenever a person dies their loved ones will be upset and often confused which can make having unused prescription medicines or tablets in the house even more dangerous. Please ensure that all unused prescription medicines or tablets are returned to a community pharmacy as soon as possible in order that they can be destroyed safely. Examples of such medicines include: Glass or Plastic ampoules containing injectable medicines Skin patches, creams and gels Nose and mouth sprays Inhalers Capsules, tablets and syrups 9
WHAT TO DO IF YOU HAVE CONCERNS REGARDING YOUR LOVED ONE S CARE IN HOSPITAL Often, relatives have questions about their loved one s death in hospital that only occurs to them some time afterwards. Occasionally, some people have concerns about the care that was provided that they would like addressed. If you have questions or concerns it is important to raise them and resolve them so they do not cause you undue stress at a difficult time. If these questions or concerns relate to the care given by the hospital please contact our Customer Services Department on 0191 404 1072 and we will arrange for the team who looked after your loved one to respond within 10 working days. This may be in the form of a letter or a meeting depending upon the issues you have raised. The Customer Services Department can be contacted Monday to Friday (9.00am to 5.00pm) excluding bank holidays. We hope you have found this booklet useful, and our thoughts are with you at this time. 10
USEFUL CONTACT NUMBERS FOR SUPPORT Barnardo s Orchard Project...(0191) 240 4813 CRUSE Bereavement Support...(0191) 276 5533 Samaritans (24-hour helpline)...(0191) 232 7272 National Bereavement Helpline...(0300) 200 3300 Internet sites: http://www.crusebereavementcare.org.uk http://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/info/help/bereav http://www.natbp.co.uk/ http://www.winstonswish.org.uk Funeral directors Co-operative Funeral Service, South Shields...(0191) 455 5521 John Duckworth, South Shields...(0191) 454 5700 Peter Johnson, South Shields...(0191) 455 1111 R.S. Johnson, Crossgate House, South Shields...(0191) 456 0054 Tynedale Funeral Service, South Shields...(0191) 455 0904 Glen Miller Independent Funeral Services, Boldon...(0191) 519 1645 Your Choice Funerals South Shields...(0191) 454 4960 Manor House Funeral Service, South Shields...(0191) 456 5858 South Tyneside Council Bereavement Service Tel: (0191) 427 3190 Coroner s Office South Shields Tel: (0191) 483 8189 11
NOTES Produced by STNHSFT Bereavement Group Issued: October 2015 Review: August 2018 Publication date: August 2017
NOTES
Published by RNS Publications Tel: 01253 832400 R5