QEQM Bereavement Booklet - Proof Draft

Information and guidance

following bereavement

A message from the Bereavement Services Team

We would like to express our sincere condolences to you at this very difficult time. This booklet contains details about what needs to be done after the death of your family member or friend.

We hope it will help you cope with some of the practical aspects, such as registration and funeral arrangements. If you are not sure what to do, please ask for help or support from ward staff, the Bereavement Team, the Hospital Chaplains or your GP. The multifaith Chaplaincy Team is available for counsel and prayer 24 hours a day. There is a list of organisations that can also provide help and support on pages 19 to 24 of this booklet.

The hospital would like to thank RNS Publications for publishing this information and the following booklet contains features from local services offering their help at this time. Whilst the hospital is grateful of their support it does not endorse or recommend any other services they provide.

What To Do First

1. Telephone the hospital’s Bereavement Team as soon as you feel able.

We recognise this is a very difficult time for you, so the Bereavement Team will wait to hear from you when you feel ready, and will not contact you directly unless you have left us a message to do so. The contact details for each hospital is:

William Harvey Hospital, Ashford

Tel: 01233 616887

Email: ekhuft.rsowhh@nhs.net

Between 10.00am and 4.00pm

Monday to Friday only (closed bank holidays)

Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother Hospital, Margate

Tel: 01843 234452

Email: ekhuft.rsoqeqm@nhs.net

Between 10.00am and 4.00pm

Monday to Friday only (closed bank holidays)

Kent and Canterbury Hospital, Canterbury

Tel: 01227 864006

Email: ekhuft.rsokch@nhs.net

Between 10.00am and 3.00pm

Monday to Friday only (closed bank holidays)

When you call the Bereavement Team, the Bereavement Officer will ask for the following information:

• The name and contact details of the person who will be registering the death and organising the funeral (we ask that there is one main contact person for the family).

• Whether you will be arranging a burial or a cremation for your loved one.

• The name of the Funeral Director you will be asking to look after your loved one. Don’t worry if you have not yet decided.

• The occupation of your loved one prior to their passing or retirement.

• Whether your loved one had a pacemaker and if they did, permission for the pacemaker to be removed.

If the team are busy helping other families or it is after office hours, please leave a voicemail and we will return your call as soon as possible.

When you speak with the Bereavement Team they will discuss the next steps with you. Please do not book an appointment to register the death without first knowing the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death is complete.

The Bereavement Team will contact your loved one’s GP to inform them of their death.

2. Contact a Funeral Director of your choice. You do not have to wait until the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death has been issued, however, you may like to take time with this decision and compare costs and services provided.

The internet is a good source of information and you may wish to look at this website: www.yourfuneralchoice.com

3. Contact the Executor as soon as you can.

Contacting the Executor as soon as you can will enable them to start the process of obtaining probate if necessary. The Executor is named in the Will. If there is no Will, decide who will apply to manage your loved one’s affairs and contact the Probate Registry to apply for letters of administration if necessary.

The following government website will be able to offer more information:

www.gov.uk/applying-for-probate

Step by Step Guide

Call the hospital’s Bereavement Team as soon as you feel able

Receive a call from the Medical Examiner’s Office to share cause of death or advise a Coroner referral is needed (please see page 9)

Receive a call from the Bereavement Team to confirm the paperwork has been completed

Book an appointment to register the death

Arrange the funeral with your chosen Funeral Directors

The Medical Examiner Service

The Medical Examiner is a senior Doctor who provides an independent review of the cause of death and was not involved in the care of your loved one. The Medical Examiner provides an independent review of the cause of death. The Medical Examiner will review the medical records and liaise with the Doctor who treated your loved one to ensure:

• The Medical Certificate of Cause of Death accurately records their cause of death

• Also, when required they are able to refer appropriate cases to the Coroner

• Most importantly they are able to make sure that family members understand what is written on the MCCD before registration of death

• They will also offer family members the chance to ask questions and raise any concerns about the care provided to their loved one

The Medical Examiners’ Officer will contact you as soon as possible after speaking with the Doctor issuing the MCCD. This will usually be two to three working days after your loved one’s death. They will let you know whether the MCCD can be issued by the hospital Doctor or if their death needs to be referred to the Coroner.

Please see page 9 for information regarding deaths referred to the Coroner.

Once the Medical Examiner has agreed the cause of death,they will notify the Bereavement Team who will arrange for the Doctor to complete the MCCD. This usually takes five working days from the date your loved one died, although this is not always possible.

Registering the Death

The Bereavement Team will email the completed MCCD directly to the Registrar; you won’t need to come to the hospital to collect any paperwork. The Bereavement Team will let you know when the MCCD has been completed and you can book the appointment with the Registrar.

You can book an appointment with the Registrar:

• 0300 041 5151

• www.kent.gov.uk/registration

Kent County Council provides this service through its Libraries and Gateways. To book an appointment to register a death, you must be either:

• A relative of the deceased

• A person who was present at the death

• A person arranging the funeral with the Funeral Director

• An administrator from the hospital where the person died

Registering a death can be an emotional experience. You are able to bring a close friend or family member with you for support. Don’t worry if you get upset during the appointment. The Registrar will know you are grieving and try their best to help you. The registration service is free of charge. There is a charge for buying copies of the Death Certificate. The Registrar will discuss this with you.

The Registrar will need to know some information about the person who has died and your relationship to them to be able to complete the death register.

You will need to provide the following information:

• The deceased’s full name and maiden name if appropriate

• The date of death and place of death

• The deceased’s usual address

• The deceased’s date of birth and place of birth

• The deceased’s occupation

• The deceased’s marital status and date of birth of a surviving spouse/civil partner

• The occupation of a surviving spouse/civil partner

Once the registration is complete, the Registrar will give you:

• A certificate for burial or cremation (form 9) - a green form to give to the Funeral Director. If the death has been referred to the Coroner and the funeral is a cremation, the equivalent form will be sent by the Coroner to your Funeral Director

• The Tell Us Once unique reference (see page 7)

You will be able to buy certified copies of the Death Certificate from the Registrar or online after the appointment for a small fee. Death certificates may be needed for:

• Banks and building societies

• Insurance companies

• National saving accounts

• Property matters that may be being dealt with by a solicitor (they can copy and certify at a cost if more than one needed)

• Stocks and shares

• Redirecting post

When someone dies, you will need to report their death to many organisations and government departments. The Tell Us Once service aims to ease the burden on bereaved family by allowing you to notify multiple government agencies at the same time about the death. It is a free service.

Once you have completed the death registration, the Registrar will enter the details of the death on the Tell Us Once database. You then have 28 days to complete the Tell Us Once process. You can do this in the following ways:

• www.gov.uk/tell-us-once

• 0800 085 7308

You will need the following information:

• Your loved one’s date of birth or national insurance number

• Name of the local council service

• Details of any benefits or services they were receiving

• Name, address and telephone number of next of kin

• Name, address and telephone number of person dealing with the estate

• Name, address, telephone number and either date of birth or national insurance number of surviving spouse or civil partner

Tell Us Once can notify the following departments after you have registered a death:

• Adult Social Services

• Attendance Allowance

• Blue Badge parking permit

• Bus Passes

• Carer’s Allowance

• Child Benefit

• Child Tax Credit

• Children’s services

• Council housing

• Council Tax

• Council Tax Benefit

• Disability Living Allowance

• Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency

• Electoral services

• Employment Support Allowance

• Housing Benefit

• Incapacity Benefit

• Income Support

• Jobseeker’s Allowance

• Library services

• Owe payments to council

• Passport service

• State Pension

• Tax Help for Older People

• Working Tax Credit

• Personal Taxation

• War Pension Team

Where applicable, Tell Us Once will pass details to these departments on your behalf. The departments you choose to notify will contact you directly if they need any more information to process any change in circumstances.

The Coroner

The Medical Examiner will let you know if your loved one’s death needs to be reported to the Coroner. This can happen for a number of reasons such as if the Doctor is unsure of the exact cause of death, the person died earlier than expected, died during surgery or in an accident. There are specific circumstances when the hospital Doctor is required by law to refer to the Coroner.

The Coroner is an independent judicial officer, appointed by the local authority and is responsible for investigating the cause of death. The Coroner will decide if:

• The hospital Doctor can issue the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death

• A post-mortem is needed

• To hold an inquest

If a post-mortem is required, the Coroner will contact you to discuss why this is necessary. We understand post-mortems can be difficult for families. The Coroner will only instruct a post-mortem if it is necessary to establish cause of death.

The Coroner will issue the required paperwork to the Registrar and will keep you informed throughout. In some circumstances, the Coroner will proceed to open an inquest. An inquest is a ‘fact finding’ exercise which normally aims to determine the circumstances of someone’s death.

The purpose of an inquest is to establish four things: who the deceased was and when, where and how they died. There may be a hearing. The Coroner will keep you informed throughout.

The contact details for the Coroner are: Tel: 0300 041 502 Email: kentandmedwaycoroners@kent.gov.uk

The following government website will be able to offer more information around the role of the Coroner: www.gov.uk/after-a-death/when-a-death-is-reported-to-acoroner

Hospital Chaplaincy

Each hospital has a Chaplaincy Team. They have links with most faith groups and can usually contact an appropriate representative for you. The Chaplaincy Teams can offer support and advice at this time. You do not have to be a member of any particular faith group to ask for help from the Chaplaincy Team. If you are, then one of the team can put you in touch with a local minister who will also be able to help.

During office hours there is usually a member of the Chaplaincy Team available in the hospital to help if needed. A 24-hour emergency service is available via the hospital switchboard on: 01227 766877

Tissue Donation

Tissue donation can help thousands of people each year. Donated tissue such as heart valves, bones and eyes can save or dramatically improve the lives of many people suffereing from illness or injury.

Thanks to the generosity of our donors and their families, thousands of people every year receive life-transforming tissue transplants. East Kent Hospitals work in partnership with NHS Blood and Transplant to support the option of tissue donation.

Almost anyone can be considered as a tissue donor. A specialist nurse from NHS Blood and Transplant may call you, or another family member, to discuss the option of donation from your loved one. The specialist nurse will provide enough information to enable you to make the decision that is right for you.

Throughout the donation, the donor is treated with dignity and respect. After donation our specialist team will ensure the donor retains a natural appearance.

Tissue donation will not delay funeral arrangements. If you wish to speak to a specialist nurse about tissue donation, please call 0800 432 0559.

Viewings

Please contact the Bereavement Team at the hospital where your loved one died for advice on viewings.

We recommend viewings with your loved one takes place at your chosen Funeral Directors; this will allow for more comfortable surroundings, availability and ease.

The Mortuary in the hospital is a clinical area and not as comfortable as a funeral home for viewings. However, if we are able to, we will try and accommodate a viewing at the hospital if this is your wish. Please note the hospital Mortuary will only be available for viewings at certain times and is not open at weekends.

It is important to be aware that there may be restrictions on viewing your loved one. These include:

• All viewings held before the Medical Examiner has been able to conclude their review will need to be behind glass

• All viewings where the death has been referred to the Coroner need to be behind glass

Please be aware that a member of staff may be in the viewing room with you.

Care of the Deceased

The respect and dignity of all individuals will be upheld at all times. All staff working in this area are trained to a high standard and will ensure the care, safety and dignity of the deceased is respected before they move into the care of a Funeral Director.

Body Donation

We need to know as quickly as possible if your loved one wished to donate their body to medical science. Please notify the Bereavement Team where your loved one passed away as soon as possible (please see page 1 for contact details).

Body donations can only happen where the deceased was registered with the London School of Anatomy (LAO) and where the LAO accept the body after death.

The Bereavement Team will liaise with the LAO to check your loved one was registered with them. If registered, the LAO will ask the hospital Doctor to complete the required documentation. The LAO will then notify the hospital whether the deceased has been accepted for body donation.

It is important to remember that the LAO is not always able to accept a deceased patient, even when registered. This often depends on whether there is a school accepting patients at that time. We appreciate this may be upsetting for families when a loved one is not accepted.

Patient Property

Wherever possible, it is recommended that the family of the deceased take any property with them, whilst visiting the ward. If you are unable to do this, the property will be brought to the Bereavement Team who will discuss returning the property to you.

Jewellery (for example wedding rings, earrings) is often left on the deceased unless the family request otherwise and will go to the Funeral Director where it can be removed if requested.

Please be aware that any property not collected after three months will be donated to charity or disposed of.

Arranging the Funeral

You do not have to use a Funeral Director; however, most people are reassured by their wealth of experience and they will help guide you through each step. The organising of a funeral can start as soon after death as you feel comfortable. You do not have to wait to register the death before contacting a Funeral Director.

Your loved one may have left instructions regarding their wishes for the funeral arrangements. Usually their wishes are included in their Will.

Funeral Directors

The hospital is not able to recommend a particular funeral director. There are no universal standards that apply to Funeral Directors, however some are members of professional organisations, which operate a code of conduct. The National Association of Funeral Directors (NAFD) and the Society of Allied and Independent Funeral Directors (SAIF) are examples of these.

• National Association of Funeral Directors (NAFD)

Tel: 0121 711 1343

Web: www.nafd.org.uk

• National Society of Allied & Independent Funeral Directors

Tel: 0345 230 6777

Web: www.saif.org.uk

A Funeral Director should be expected to give you a written quotation. This includes an estimate for a standard funeral, as well as any additional services.

The Trust operates a system for the safe release of your loved one from our care. You will be given a white release form by the Funeral Directors giving your permission for them to take your loved one into their care.

Although Funeral Directors are used to organising the majority of funerals, some people prefer to organise them themselves.

You may also prefer to choose a Woodland Environmentally Friendly Burial. For further details please contact:

• The Natural Death Centre

Tel: 01962 712690

Web: www.naturaldeath.org.uk

Paying for the funeral

Funerals can be expensive; if you are the person arranging the funeral, you will be responsible for paying and we recommend you consider all the costs and how these might be paid when planning.

Funerals can be paid for in several different ways including:

• From the deceased’s estate

• Your loved one may have a funeral plan in place to cover the cost

• Money from a life insurance policy

• The deceased’s bank may release funds from their bank account to pay for the funeral

• You or the executor may need to pay and then recover the costs from the estate

Help with the Funeral Costs

If you need help paying for a funeral and are receiving certain benefits, you may be able to apply for a funeral expenses payment from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).

To be eligible, you (or your partner) must get one or more of the following:

• Universal Credit

• Income Support

• Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance

• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance

• Pension Credit

• Housing Benefit

• The disability or severe disability element of Working Tax Credit

• Child Tax Credit

You can claim by phone by calling the DWP Bereavement Service helpline: Telephone: 0800 151 2012 Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm

An adviser will also help you claim any other bereavement benefits you might be entitled to. You can also claim by post.

Please see the following website for more information: www.gov.uk/funeral-payments

Coping with Loss

Bereavement is personal and can be a very painful life event. It may be a time where you may be unprepared and overwhelmed by the strength of the thoughts, feelings and emotions experienced. There is no right or wrong way to grieve as it is unique to the individual.

It is not uncommon to initially feel shocked following bereavement, even if a death is expected. This may be followed by a sense of numbness and disbelief that the person who has died has really gone.

Feelings you may experience

• Shock

• Numbness

• Relief

• Anger

• Helplessness

• Anxiety

• Guilt

• Sadness

• Fatigue

• Loneliness

These feelings are natural reactions to bereavement and are not signs you are unable to cope.

It is important that you allow yourself time to grieve and come to terms with your loss in whatever way is right for you. You may find the support of others comforting and talking to family and friends may help.

They may offer to:

• Help with funeral arrangements - emotional support or an extra pair of hands is very important at this time

• Help with financial arrangements – if you do not understand something, ask a family member or friend to assist you. Don’t make any big decisions in a hurry, e.g. selling/buying a house. Give yourself time

Contact your GP or local religious or faith community members - don’t feel you are being a nuisance; they are used to dealing with bereaved people and usually offer good support.

Everyone will have their own way of remembering their loved one. Talk about them, mention their name as often as possible and put the emphasis on the good things that happened when they were alive.

Children and Young People

Children and young people may respond differently to grief and have thoughts and feelings which they may want to express in different ways. Although it is not possible to protect children and young people from feeling sad, talking openly with them will help them. If you feel you would like further support and advice on how to talk to a child or young adult, please speak to a health professional who was involved in caring for your loved one. Alternatively, you may wish to refer to the websites listed in this booklet.

Bereavement Support

Bereavement can be a painful and overwhelming experience, but grieving for the loss of a loved one is a natural process. For many people, the support of friends and family may be sufficient to adjust to circumstances and start to resume normal life.

However, some people find it is easier to speak to someone else rather than a loved one or close friend. Your GP will also be able to assist you.

If you feel you need additional or longer term emotional support, we’ve listed below some organisations who may be abe to help you cope with your grief.

• Amparo

Offering practical and emotional support for anyone bereaved by suicide in Kent and Medway.

Tel: 0330 088 9255

Web: www.amparo.org.uk

• BAATN – BAMEStream Bereavement Support Service

Offering therapeutic support in over 20 different languages and is committed to providing bereavement support to people from Black, Asian and other minority ethnic (BAME) communities.

Web: www.baatn.org.uk/bamestream-bereavement-supportservice

• BMHS

A not-for-profit organisation focused on education and advocacy to inspire a mentally healthy BAME community by providing support appropriate to their mental health and wellbeing.

Tel: 0800 144 8824

Web: www.bamementalhealth.org/bereavement

• Childhood Bereavement Network www.childhoodbereavementnetwork.org.uk

• Compassionate Friends Nationwide

Self-help organisation for bereaved parents.

Tel: 0345 1232304

Web: www.tcf.org.uk

• Cruse

Care for the bereaved.

Tel: 0808 808 1677 (Helpline)

For East Kent area

Tel: 07999 362322

Web: www.cruse.org.uk

• Holding On Letting Go

Charity for bereaved children – based in Medway

Tel: 03445 611 511

Web: www.holdingonlettinggo.org.uk

• Switchboard LGBT+ helpline

This group offers support and advice to our LGBT+ community who have been bereaved by the death of a partner.

Tel: 0300 330 0630

• Macmillan Nurses

Macmillan nurses work with cancer patients and others with serious illness and their families. They provide support throughout the illness and during bereavement.

For Maidstone area.

Tel: 0808 808 00 00

Web: www.macmillan.org.uk

• Pilgrims Stepping Stones

Peer support groups and walking groups running across the East Kent region for any adult who has experienced a bereavement.

Tel: 01233 504127 (option 2)

Email: steppingstones@pilgrimshospices.org.uk

Web: www.pilgrimshospices.org/how-we-help/bereavementsupport/

• Road Peace

An organisation to help people who have experienced bereavement or injury through a road accident.

Tel: 0845 4500 355 (Monday - Saturday 9am - 5pm)

Web: www.roadpeace.org

• Samaritans

A 24 hour helpline.

Tel: 116 123

Web: www.samaritans.org

• Slideaway

Helping support young bereaved people. Based in Kent.

Tel: 07970 597715

Web: www.slideaway.org

• SUDDEN

A charitable initiative to support people bereaved by sudden death.

Web: www.suddendeath.org

• Terrence Higgins Trust

A support group for those who are HIV positive and/or have AIDS and their friends and families.

Tel: 0808 802 1221 (Monday - Friday 10am - 10pm) (Saturday / Sunday 12pm - 6pm)

Web: www.tht.org.uk

• Winston’s Wish

A support group for bereaved children and their families

Tel: 0808 802 0021

Web: www.winstonswish.org.uk

Meet and chat with others dealing with their grief in a relaxed, welcoming and safe space over a coffee and a biscuit. Monthly at our three hospice sites. Join us on one of our Bereavement Walk & Talk’s

Join us for a gentle walk in a peaceful setting. This supportive group can help you navigate your way through grief. We walk, we talk and enjoy a refreshment stop along the way. Every week (weather permitting).

services are available to any adult living in east Kent who has experienced a bereavement –even if you haven’t previously been supported by Pilgrims.

email: steppingstones@pilgrimshospices.org www.pilgrimshospices.org/steppingstones Come to one of our Bereavement Cafés

your place, call

Stepping Stones Bereavement

The following organisations are also available for advice:

• Age UK

For Canterbury area

Tel: 01227 462368

For Faversham, Sittingbourne and Swale towns

Tel: 01634 572616

For Thanet area

Tel: 01843 223881

Web: www.ageuk.org.uk

• Citizens Advice Bureau

For Ashford area

Tel: 01233 676185

Web: www.ashfordadvice.org

For Canterbury area

Tel: 0808 278 7846 / 01227 452762

Web: www.citizensadvicecanterbury.org.uk

For Dover, Deal and District areas

Tel: 0808 278 7961

Web: www.doverdealadvice.co.uk

For Thanet area

Tel: 0808 278 7998

Web: www.thanetcitizensadvice.org

For Herne Bay area

Tel: 0808 278 7846 / 01227 740647

Web: www.citizensadvice.org.uk/local/canterbury-district

• Relate

Confidential counselling on all aspects of relationships including bereavement.

For Maidstone area

Tel: 01892 529927

For Tunbridge Wells area

Tel: 01892 529927

Web: www.relate.org.uk

• The Riverside Centre

Support charities in Dover and Surrey towns.

Tel: 01304 207268

Web: www.riversidedover.org.uk

• Victim Support

A voluntary group offering help and support for those who are victims of crime.

Tel: 08 08 16 89 111

Web: www.victimsupport.org.uk

• WAY Widowed and Young

Web: www.widowedandyoung.org.uk

Learning from the Review of Deaths In Our Care

Case note reviews (or Structured Judgement Reviews / SJRs) are routinely completed by healthcare organisations on a proportion of all the deaths that occur. The purpose is to learn from, develop and improve the care and treatment provided.

If a case note review is undertaken, a clinical member of staff, who was not directly involved in the care of your loved one, will look carefully at the clinical records and notes. They will look at each aspect of care that has been recorded and consider how well it was provided. When a routine review suggests that there were problems in the care provided, further review by other clinical staff is undertaken and following this an investigation may be required. If that is the case, then you will be contacted to discuss further.

In some instances, a case note review may be completed if a problem in care is suspected or a significant concern is raised. A significant concern can be raised by staff, regulators or the patient’s family. We consider a significant concern to mean any concerns raised that cannot be answered at the time; or anything that is not answered to the family’s satisfaction or which does not reassure them.

This may happen when a death is sudden, unexpected, untoward or accidental. When a significant concern has been raised, we may undertake a case note review or refer the case to a different type of learning response or investigation. We will always offer to share the findings of our review.

There are other specific processes and procedures that NHS Trusts follow if the patient had a learning disability, was a child, died in a maternity setting, or where the Mental Health Act or Mental Capacity Act apply. If this is the case, we will let you know.

Patient Safety Incident Investigations

In a very small number of cases, there may be concerns that the death could be, or is related to, a patient safety incident. Patient safety incidents are any unintended or unexpected incident which could have, or did, lead to harm for one or more patients receiving healthcare. Where there is a concern that a patient safety incident contributed to a patient’s death we would complete a patient safety incident investigation (PSII).

The purpose of a patient safety incident investigation is to learn and improve. The aim is to understand how the incident occurred, consider how various factors contributed and to determine the safety actions required. The investigation does not apportion blame or determine liability, preventability, or cause of death.

If, following the death of your loved one, a patient safety incident investigation is undertaken, we will inform you and explain the process. We will also ask you about how, and when, you would like to be involved and keep you updated. We will explain how we will include you in setting the terms of reference (the topics that will be looked at) for the investigation. These investigations may be carried out internally by trained investigators or by external investigators, depending on the circumstances.

In some cases, an investigation may involve more care providers than just East Kent Hospitals. For example, your loved one may have received care from several organisations. In these circumstances, this will be explained to you, and you will be told which organisation is acting as the lead for the investigation.

You will be asked if you would like to comment on drafts of the investigation report and agree with you how your comments will be incorporated into the report. The Chief Medical Officer and Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officer are responsible for approving the final report and associated improvement plan.

Providing Feedback, Raising Concerns And / Or Making A Complaint

Providing feedback

We want to hear your thoughts about your loved one’s care. Receiving feedback from families helps us to understand the things we are doing right and need to continue; and the things we need to improve on.

Raising concerns

It is also very important to us that you feel able to ask any questions or raise any concerns regarding the care your loved one received. In the first instance, the team that cared for your loved one should be able to respond to these. However, if you would prefer to speak to someone who was not directly involved in your loved one’s care, our Patient Advice Liaison Service (PALS) team will be able to help.

There is a PALS office on each site if you wish to see a PALS officer in person. The PALS offices are open Monday to Friday 09.30am to 4.00pm, excluding bank holidays. There is a voicemail service available 24 hours a day. Messages will be returned as soon as possible, so please do leave a contact number. Alternatively, please send an email to the team.

Tel: 01227 783145

Email: ekh-tr.pals@nhs.net

Making a Complaint

We hope we will be able to respond to any questions or concerns you have. Additionally you can raise concerns as a complaint, at any point. If you do this, we will ensure that we respond, in an accessible format, to the issues you have raised.

There is no rush to submit a complaint, however, please note that complaints need to have been submitted within twelve months of the concerns arising. Please contact the PALS team in the first instance to raise any concerns. The PALS team forward any formal complaints to the Complaints team.

Independent Information, Advice and Advocacy

If you raise any concerns regarding the treatment we gave your loved one, we will provide you with information and support; and do our best to answer the questions you have. However, we understand that it can be very helpful to have independent advice.

Some organisations may be able to find you an ‘advocate’ if you need support when attending meetings. They may also direct you to other advocacy organisations that have more experience of working with certain groups of people, such as people with learning disabilities, mental health issues, or other specialist needs.

• The Advocacy People

Provides a range of general advocacy services across the south of England.

Web: www.theadvocacypeople.org.uk

The Hospital would like to thank RNS Publications for publishing this information and the following pages contain some features from services o ering their help at this time.

Whilst the Hospital is grateful of their support it does not endorse or recommend any of the services that they provide.

You may need help, support or advice on what to do when someone dies in relation to probate.

We offer free guidance and advice on the legal and financial aspects of bereavement including your responsibilities and whether probate is required.

Calls are free from most land lines, some calls may be monitored for training purposes and all calls are confidential. This service is provided by the Bereavement Support Network Ltd.

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The perfect place to celebrate the life of your loved one, The Botany Bay Hotel boasts two of the finest function venues in Broadstairs. And with 30 beautiful bedrooms, guests who have travelled from afar can spend the night in comfort. Our Kingsgate Suite caters for up to 100 guests - while the more intimate Club Room can accommodate up to 50.

Whichever space best suits your needs, our experienced team is on hand to help with the arrangements and ensure your event lives long in the memory.

www.botanybayhotel.co.uk

It is distressing to deal with a bereavement and unsolicited mail can be insensitive and destructive during a grieving process.

By scanning the below QR code on your phone or visiting www.stopmail.co.uk, 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.

Losing a loved one is a very sad and emotional time, which is why we treat all our bereavements with the upmost respect and care and endeavour to ensure the whole process is stress free and easy.

Here at St. Augustine’s, we offer peaceful and tranquil surroundings for your family and friends to celebrate the life of your loved one.

You will have a choice of rooms to accommodate your guest numbers, and even the option to hold the service and wake together in our stunning Chapel, saving the hassle of moving to different locations. Our private function rooms offer beautiful antique decor with plenty of casual seating and bars to suit all your guests needs on the day.

Our in house head chef will take catering off your mind and deliver a delicious variety of buffet options to enjoy during the wake. All of our food is cooked fresh and is adaptable. Do let us know if any of your guests have any dietary needs we need to consider.

Our friendly staff will ensure the whole day from start to finish runs like clockwork, giving the send-off someone special truly deserves.

We understand how expensive funerals can be and we specialise in providing a valued service.

In recent years families have increasingly chosen more straightforward options. We can connect you with a local partner who can o er a simple and digni ed cremation from £990.00, as well as more traditional funerals where we can add personal touches to re ect your wishes.

We know that dealing with funeral arrangements following the death of a loved one is one of the most difficult tasks that we are ever likely to face. The period between the death and the funeral can be a bewildering time, when it seems there are so many tasks that need attending to. So it is at this time, that the need for a friendly sympathetic understanding person can be most appreciated, by providing the resources and advice to harrowing time.

British Institute of Embalmers