Churchill Hospital Bereavement Booklet by bereavementadvice

NHS

Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Practical help and support for relatives and friends following a death

Churchill Hospital Bereavement Office: 01865 225022

Contents Introduction...................................................................................................................................................................1 Dealing with the immediate practicalities.............................................................1 What needs to be done?..........................................................................................................................1 Other things to consider............................................................................................................................1 Medical Certificate of Cause of Death.................................................................................2 Location of the Bereavement Office.......................................................................................3 How to register the death..................................................................................................................4 Location map Register Office...........................................................................................................5 Who can register the death?..............................................................................................................6 What needs to be taken to register the death?.....................................................6 What will the Registrar need to know about the deceased?.............6 What Registrar will give you...............................................................................................................7 Deaths reported to the Coroner.............................................................................................7 How are deaths reported to the Coroner?....................................................................8 What will the Coroner do?.....................................................................................................................8 What if the death was not due to natural causes?...........................................9 Arranging a funeral......................................................................................................................................9 Alternatives to traditional funerals..............................................................................................10 Choosing a Funeral Director..............................................................................................................10 Funeral costs..............................................................................................................................................................11 Paying for a funeral..........................................................................................................................................11 Repatriation..................................................................................................................................................................12 Who do you need to inform?......................................................................................................12 Tissue donation..................................................................................................................................................15 Coping with bereavement and where to find support....................16 Local support..............................................................................................................................................................17 National support....................................................................................................................................................20

Introduction Our Bereavement Service is here to guide you through the practical steps that have to be taken after someone dies. We understand that this may be a difficult time for you, but we will provide you with support and advice. As our phones are usually busy, please do not call us; we will make contact with you. This will be on the first working day after the death, and is likely to be in the morning. However during busy periods this may not be until the afternoon. We are mindful that the death may have occurred overnight, so you may not hear from us until later in the day to respect your privacy. Our role is to ensure the necessary paperwork is completed and help you make an appointment with the registration service. When the paperwork is ready, we will contact you and arrange an appointment for you to collect it from the hospital.

Dealing with the immediate practicalities What needs to be done? • Obtain the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death • Collect any belongings or valuables • Register the death at a registration office. This must be done within 5 working days • Arrange the funeral, usually via a Funeral Director

Other things to consider • You may wish to see the person who has died • Whether you want a burial or cremation • You may wish to talk to someone about your feelings e.g. Hospital Chaplain • The registration services offers Tell Us Once, a service which advises all central and local government organisations of the death 1

We give the “What to do after a death” booklet to families when we meet them. If we do not see them (either because it is a Coroner’s case or the funeral director collects the paperwork), we offer to put a copy in the post or send it with the funeral director. In some instances there is a legal requirement for the doctor to refer a death to the Coroner, which may result in a post-mortem examination. If you have any questions about a death being referred to the Coroner, the doctor or member of the Bereavement team will discuss and explain the procedure in more detail.

Medical Certificate of Cause of Death A member of the hospital medical staff, who has been looking after your loved one at the time of death, will issue a Medical Certificate of Cause of Death. Normally we will be able to provide you with the certificate within 1-2 working days after your relative/loved one has died. In some cases, the doctor may need to speak to the Coroner first and when that happens, a short delay may occur before we can issue the certificate. We will, of course, keep you informed of this. If the death has been reported to the Coroner, you will be advised of what will happen next. When the paperwork is ready, we will contact you and arrange a suitable time for you to collect it from the hospital.

Trust Review of Patient Deaths The Trust reviews all patient deaths to find out if there is anything we can learn from the care provided. Please let us know if there are any concerns you have in relation to the quality of care received by your loved one which you want us to look into or if you want any positive comments relayed to our teams. If the reviews by our doctors and nurses suggest a significant issue with your relative’s care we would contact you as soon as possible. 2

Location of the Bereavement Office The Bereavement Office can be found via the main entrance. Turn left at the porterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lodge and the Bereavement Office is the second door on the left. Churchill Hospital

CAR PARK

MAIN RECEPTION

MAIN ENTRANCE

CAR PARK

How to register the death Once you have collected the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death you can register the death. This is a legal requirement and should be done within 5 working days (unless the death has been reported to the Coroner). The death has to be registered in the district where the death occurred. It is possible to register a death by declaration at another registration service. However, this will result in a delay in the issue of the death certificate paperwork for burial and possibly the paperwork for cremation. There is a registration office at the John Radcliffe Hospital with a limited number of appointments for people living outside of Oxfordshire or with disabilities. An appointment can be made at any of the Oxfordshire Registration offices: Tel: 0345 241 2489. Please note that an appointment should not made until you have received confirmation from the bereavement team that the Medical Certificate has been issued. If a Coronerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s post-mortem examination has been carried out, the Coronerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s officer will arrange the registration appointment for you. The locations of the registration offices are Abingdon, Banbury, Bicester, Didcot, Henley, Oxford and Witney. Please note that visits to these offices are by appointment only.

Oxford Registration Office location

GEO R G E S T R E E T

A4144

NEW

Churchill Hospital Old Rd, Headington, Oxford OX3 7LE ROA

ISE

STR E E T

K STREET

PA R

CA STL ES TR

EE T

EET

NORFOL

HOLLYBUSH ROW

NE H LA ARS TIDM

PARK END STREET

ST THOMAS STR

John Radcliffe Hospital Headley Way, Headington, Oxford OX3 9DU

A414 4

Oxford Register Office 1 Tidmarsh Lane Oxford OX1 1NS

Who can register the death?

• A relative of the deceased • Someone present at the death • The person making the funeral arrangements – this cannot be a Funeral Director

What needs to be taken to register the death? • • • •

The Medical Certificate of Cause of Death The deceased’s medical card (NHS card), if available The deceased’s birth certificate, if available The deceased’s marriage or civil partnership certificate, if appropriate and available

What will the Registrar need to know about the deceased? • Their full name and surname (and maiden name, where appropriate) • Their date and place of birth (town and county if born in the UK and country if born abroad) • The date and place of death • The last usual address of the person • The occupation, or last occupation, if retired • The name and occupation of their spouse or civil partner, if applicable • Whether the deceased was receiving a pension or allowance from public funds • If the deceased was married, the full name and date of birth of the surviving widow, widower or civil partner

The Registrar will give you: • The Death Certificate: this is a certified copy of the entry in the Death Register. You may need more than one death certificate for the Will and for any pension claims, insurance policies etc. These are available for a fee. If the death is registered at the John Radcliffe hospital, payment must be made in cash. Further copies can be obtained at a later date, if required, from the registration service • A Certificate of Burial or Cremation: this is the ‘green form’ which enables you to arrange a funeral. This is issued when the death is registered and must be given to the Funeral Director before a funeral can take place. • A Certificate for the Department of Work & Pensions (BD8 form) Registration or Notification of Death: this may need to be sent to the Department of Work & Pensions and is provided free of charge. Read the information on the back of the certificate and if it applies, fill in the certificate and post or take it to your local Department of Work & Pensions office (Jobcentre Plus office). It is not necessary to complete and return the form if the Tell Us Once service is being used

Deaths reported to the Coroner Coroners are independent judicial officers – which means that no-one can tell them what they should do, but they must follow the laws and regulations that apply. Coroners are helped by officers who are investigators who usually have a police or medical background. These officers receive the reports of deaths and make enquiries on behalf of the Coroner. The Coroner has a duty to find out the medical cause of death, if it is not known, and to enquire about the cause of death, if it was due to violence, or industrial disease or was otherwise unnatural.

How are deaths reported to the Coroner? Deaths are usually reported to the Coroner by the police, or by the doctor who has been treating the deceased. A death will be reported to the Coroner if it resulted from, or occurred in any of these, and sometimes other circumstances: • The cause of death is not known or is uncertain • The deceased was not attended by a doctor during their last illness • The doctor treating the deceased has not seen them either after death or in the 14 days prior to the death • The death occurred whilst a patient was undergoing an operation or did not recover from the anaesthetic • The death was caused by an industrial injury or disease • The death was violent or unnatural or occurred under suspicious circumstances • The death occurred as a result of violence, neglect or abortion, or any kind of poisoning • The Coroner may be the only person who can certify the cause of death

What will the Coroner do? The Coroner may allow a doctor to issue a Medical Certificate of Cause of Death (the Coroner’s Officer may contact relatives directly to discuss this). If not, the Coroner may ask a Pathologist to examine the body by means of a post-mortem examination. If the result of the post-mortem examination shows the death to have been due to natural causes, the Coroner will issue paperwork to the registration service. The Coroner’s officer will arrange an appointment for you to register the death at a registration office of your choice in Oxfordshire.

What if the death was not due to natural causes? If the death is not due to natural causes, the Coroner will hold an inquest. An inquest is an inquiry to find out who has died, how, when and where, together with information needed by the registration service so that the death can be registered when the inquest is concluded. As there will be a delay before the death certificate is available, the Coroner will issue an interim death certificate, which is accepted by the financial institutions enabling the estate to be handled. The Coroner will issue a burial or cremation order so that the funeral can take place before the inquest. Further information may be obtained from the following website www.homeoffice.gov.uk

Arranging a funeral You do not have to wait until you have registered the death before contacting a Funeral Director. Funeral Directors are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and the earlier they become involved, the sooner they will be able to act on your behalf. However, the final arrangements for the funeral should not be made until you are sure the death does not have to be referred to the Coroner. If the death has been referred to the Coroner, and the Coroner needs to investigate the death further, the Coronerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s officer will advise you what to do. Your funeral director will liaise with the Coronerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s officer about the release of the deceased person and paperwork required for the funeral. If a post-mortem examination is required, then the date of the funeral may be affected. You will also need to consider what type of funeral your loved one would have wanted and whether they have left any instructions about this.

Alternatives to traditional funerals There are more options concerning the content of a funeral ceremony and its duration than many people realise. The majority of people choose to make their arrangements through a Funeral Director, but some people see “do-it-yourself” funerals as more personal and less expensive. If you are interested in exploring the option of a do-it-yourself funeral, please speak with the bereavement team. You could also get information from the Natural Death Centre (www.naturaldeath.org.uk) Helpline – 01962 712690.

Choosing a Funeral Director Funeral Directors will manage funeral arrangements and give advice and support. Check if the Funeral Director you choose belongs to a trade association. This requires them to provide full information about their services and prices. These factors may influence your choice: • Location • Range of services provided • Cost • The way you are treated by the staff • Recommendation of those who have used the services • Ownership (small family business or large firm) • A simple funeral • Make all the necessary arrangements • Provide appropriate staff • Provide a suitable coffin • Transfer the deceased from the place of death to the Funeral Director’s premises • Care for the deceased prior to the funeral • Arrange for burial or cremation • Embalming, viewing or providing a limousine are optional extras

Funeral costs Costs for the same service may vary considerably from one Funeral Director to another and so you may wish to get more than one quote to compare costs. “Disbursements” are fees paid to others, e.g. cremation, minister, doctor’s certificate, newspaper announcements, flowers etc. Ask the Funeral Director for a written quotation detailing all of these fees. Funeral payments are normally recoverable from the deceased’s estate.

Paying for a funeral If you arrange a funeral, you are responsible for paying the bill, so you need to ensure that there are sufficient funds in place to cover these costs. If you are finding it difficult to pay for a funeral that you have had to arrange, you may be entitled to receive a Social Fund Funeral payment from the Department for Work and Pensions, providing you or your partner receive one of the following: • • • • • •

Income Support/Employment and Support Allowance Housing Benefit Council Tax Benefit Job Seeker’s Allowance (income based) Disabled Person’s Tax Credit Working Family’s Tax Credit

Please note there may still be a fee, which has to be paid immediately, even if you are entitled to receive a Social Fund Funeral payment.

Repatriation Sending a body abroad out of the UK requires an Out of England certificate from the Coroner. The funeral director must request this from the Coroner’s office. It is best to discuss this with the Registrar when you register the death and they will be able to advise you about the correct process to follow.” This should be discussed with the bereavement team and funeral director as well because they will need to arrange for additional paperwork to be completed.

Who do you need to inform? When someone dies there is a tremendous burden placed on those left behind to ensure that various government departments or local authority services are aware. During your appointment with the Registrar you will be offered the opportunity to take up an additional service called ‘Tell us Once’, which is provided free of charge. If you use this service information can be sent to a number of organisations and services simultaneously informing them that your loved one has died (for example, Housing Benefit Office, Council Tax, Library, Blue Badge, Pensions & Benefits, Passport, Driving Licence). If the death is registered at the John Radcliffe Hospital, Tell Us Once cannot be done with the registrar but the registrar will provide a reference enabling the service to be accessed later via a telephone call or online at www.gov.uk/tell-usonce. If the death cannot be registered because of a Coroner’s inquest, the Coroner’s officer will provide the reference. It should be noted that not every area in the UK has signed up to the Tell Us Once service.

Tell Us Once will inform the following services: • HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) - to deal with personal tax (you need to contact HMRC separately for business taxes, like VAT) • Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) - to cancel benefits, for example Income Support • Passport Office - to cancel a British passport • Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) - to cancel a driving licence and to remove the person as the keeper for up to 5 vehicles • the local council - to cancel Housing Benefit, Council Tax Benefit, a Blue Badge, inform council housing services and remove the person from the electoral register • public sector or armed forces pension schemes - to stop pension payments

Other services that are not covered by Tell Us Once that you may need to inform: Employer Banks/Building Societies Insurance companies (Life, car, home and contents) Mortgage Company/Land Registry Housing Association/Landlord Social services – if involved Utility providers – Gas, Water, Electricity School/College – if applicable Credit Cards/National Savings and Investments/Banks Store cards Telephone, internet, mobile & TV provider Union/professional organisations Stop unwanted mail: www.stopmail.co.uk Leaflet enclosed within this pack by Stop Mail which reduces the amount of unwanted marketing post and the likelihood of identity theft following a loss. Social Media sites (e.g. Facebook etc) If already a grave owner notify HBC of any changes Care agency/district nurse/home help, meals on wheels, cleaner etc Appointments: hospital appointments, dentist, opticians etc Newspapers Redirect mail if required Milk if delivered Magazine subscriptions 14

Tissue donation Tissue donation is not an easy subject for relatives / friends to think about at such a difficult time. Most people are aware that hundreds of lives are saved every year by donated organs, e.g. heart and lungs. You may not realise that donated tissue can dramatically improve the quality of life for others and many heart valves may be transplanted to save lives of babies and children. Tissue may also be donated to help research to understand disease and develop new medicines and treatments e.g. for Parkinsonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Disease, Alzheimerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s and other forms of dementia. Tissue donation must take place within 24-48 hours of death. If you would like more information about this please contact the following for advice: The Tissue Co-ordinators Oxford Cell & Tissue Biobank Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust Tel 01865 220076 http://www.ouh.nhs.uk/services/departments/tissue/donation-afterdeath/default.aspx You can also download the information leaflet http://www.ouh.nhs. uk/patient-guide/leaflets/files/12517Ptissue.pdf

Coping with bereavement and where to find support Many organisations offer support to people who have suffered a bereavement including counselling, information and advice and practical support. Some of these organisations and their contact details are listed at the end of this booklet. The death of someone close can be a devastating experience, often causing stronger emotions than most people have ever felt before. Even if your loved one has been ill for some time and death was expected, there is still a sense of shock when the death occurs. Your reactions may be influenced by a number of things, including your previous experiences of bereavement, your beliefs, cultural background, your current circumstances and how you cope with loss. Every personâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s experiences of grief are very different but when someone close dies you may initially feel shocked, numb, angry, guilty and scared. These feelings can change to sadness, and loneliness and the thought of how you will cope in the future may seem frightening. Whilst these feelings can be a normal part of grieving, if they persist and make it difficult for you to manage day to day tasks you may wish to seek professional help from your GP or one of the other organisations offering support and advice.

Local support Age UK Oxfordshire Offers a range of services including befriending and a community information network that provides access to a range of groups and organisations offering practical and emotional support to older people. Late Spring offers bereaved people aged 60+ the opportunity to meet with others over tea and cake. Fortnightly meetings across Oxfordshire. Tel: 0345 450 1276 www.ageuk.org.uk/oxfordshire Archway Provides a supportive, understanding and friendly environment and a range of activities for people feeling lonely and isolated. Activities include social evenings, befriending, drop-in cafĂŠ and group outings Tel: 01865 790552 Email: office@archwayfoundation.org.uk www.archwayfoundation.org.uk BLESS Bereavement, Loss and Emotional Support Service BLESS provides 1-1 support for Jewish people (and people with Jewish connections) living in Oxfordshire. Tel: 07503 650710 Email: bless@ojc-online.org Chipping Norton Friendship Club Social activities for bereaved people. Monthly meetings (Saturdays), lunches, coach trips. Tel: 01608 678456 (Pat Smith)

Cruse Oxfordshire An organisation that helps anyone in Oxfordshire deal with the pain of grief. Family and friends can be good people to talk to but, for many reasons, you might want to find another sympathetic ear. The Bereavement Support Volunteers (BSVs) have experience of helping people through grieving; they have been trained to listen and help you work your way through the emotional work of grief. Tel: 01865 245 398 www.oxfordcruse.co.uk Home Start Oxfordshire Home-Start is a national organisation with 3 branches in Oxfordshire which offers practical, emotional and befriending support to families (with at least one child under five) experiencing difficulties managing parenting for a variety of reasons. Support is free, confidential and non-judgemental. S. Oxfordshire Tel: 01235 511152 Email: homestartso@btconnect.com Oxford Tel: 01865 779991 Email: admin@homestart-Oxford.org.uk Banbury Tel: 01295 266358 Email: info@home-startbanbury.org.uk www.home-start.org.uk

The Loss Foundation The Loss Foundation is the only UK charity dedicated solely to providing bereavement support following the loss of a loved one to cancer, whether that be spouses, family members, friends or colleagues. It provides a variety of support events to help people at any point during their loss, and create the opportunity for them to meet others who have experienced something similar. The Loss foundation educates and empowers others to support those who are grieving via its workshops and training. Tel: 0300 200 4112 Email: info@thelossfoundation.org www.thelossfoundation.org See Saw Grief support for children and young people in Oxfordshire. Many children and young people are offered face-to-face support from one of their support workers. SeeSaw pioneered the recruitment and training of volunteer support workers who visit children in their own homes. An important aspect of this work is that children are seen out of school time. Tel: 01865 744 768 www.seesaw.org.uk

Reference: Churchill Hospital Bereavement Booklet Publication date: February 2018 Review date: February 2020

National support Age UK Age UK can offer advice and support Tel: 0800 169 6565 www.ageuk.org.uk Citizens Advice National network of advice centres offering free, confidential, independent advice. Tel: 03444 111 444 (England) 03444 77 20 20 (Wales) www.citizensadvice.org.uk Cruse Bereavement This is a national organisation, with local branches, developed to support people following the death of a loved one. Tel: 0808 808 1677 www.cruse.org.uk Bereavement Support Network A national organisation that offers advice on all aspects of bereavement. Tel: 0808 168 9607 www.bereavementsupport.co.uk Department for Work & Pensions Carries out eligibility checks on surviving relatives to see what benefits they are entitled to. Also takes claims for bereavement benefits and funeral payments. Tel: 0345 606 0265 0345 606 0275 (Wales) Human Tissue Authority Provides information about body donation for medical research. Tel: 020 7269 1900 www.hta.gov.uk 20

Lesbian and Gay Bereavement Project Telephone helpline offering advice and support to people bereaved by the death of a same sex partner. Support is also available to other family members. Tel: 020 7833 1674 www.londonfriend.org.uk Natural Death Centre Provides information on all types of funeral choices, but especially family-organised, environmentally friendly funerals and natural burial grounds. Tel: 01962 712 690 www.naturaldeath.org.uk NHS Blood & Transplant Service Advice about tissue donation Tissue National Referral Centre Tel: 0800 432 0559 www.nhsbt.nhs.uk/tissuedonation Principal Probate Registry Information and advice on dealing with an estate. Contact details of local probate registries. www.gov.uk Roadpeace Offers practical and emotional support to those bereaved and injured through road traffic accidents. Tel: 0845 4500 355 www.roadpeace.org Samaritans A confidential, emotional support service for anyone experiencing feelings of distress or despair for any reason. Tel: 116 123 www.samaritans.org 21

STOPPING JUNK MAIL It is distressing to deal with a bereavement and unsolicited mail can be insensitive and destructive during a grieving process. By visiting www.stopmail.co.uk on your mobile, tablet or computer, we are able to securely share this information with mailing organisations and under the Data Protection Act the information will not be used for any other purpose. Other benefits reduce the possibility of identity fraud, such as assumed identity and you will only have to supply the information once.

www.stopmail.co.uk 0808 168 9607 from a landline 0333 006 8114 from a mobile ÂŠ Bereavement Support Network Ltd 2018