What to do first

Following a death at St. Marys Hospital

What to do first

If you wish to see the Bereavement Advisor, you will be asked to telephone to arrange an appointment. This is essential as it can take some time to arrange for the possessions to be made ready for collection, and for the medical certificate to be completed by the doctor.

In some cases it may be necessary for the doctor to refer a case to the Coroner, this may create a delay in proceedings. The Coroners Officer or Bereavement Advisor will contact relatives directly if there is to be a post mortem.

The Isle of Wight NHS Trust is always looking for opportunities to improve the quality and the experience that people have while they are under our care; one of the ways we do that is to review the clinical notes of all people who have died at St Mary’s, looking at what decisions were made and what care was given. This review will take place very close to the time of your relative’s death and involves one of several experienced clinicians looking through the notes and checking the standards of care that your relative received against a nationally recommended set of criteria. On some occasions we may feel that a more in-depth study of the notes is needed to be confident that good decisions were made and that the care provided was at the standard we expect. This is undertaken by a clinician not usually directly involved in the care of the patient, the outcomes of these reviews are monitored through our Mortality Group in order to identify any issues, concerns, good practice and learning for the future.

We recognise that this is a difficult time for you but would be extremely grateful if you would share any comments or feeling you have about the quality of care your relative received with our Bereavement Team either in person or via the bereavement survey; that feedback may influence whether a more in-depth review takes place and allows us to understand any concerns you may have in more detail.

The Bereavement Advisor is there to offer you guidance on what you need to do following a death. If there is something you wish to ask, please do so, every endeavour will be made to answer your queries.

Listed below are just some of the matters the Bereavement Advisor will be able to help you with. • Deciding who to contact and whether those organisations that require notification of the death may need to see a certified death certificate. • When a person dies someone has to deal with their estate by collecting in all money, paying debts and distributing the estate to those people entitled to it. In some cases obtaining probate may be necessary, this means the issuing of a legal document to an applicant authorising them to deal with the estate. The Probate Registry issues the document, which is called grant representation. • We can give you information on whether you are entitled to receive bereavement benefit, a tax-free lump sum, and or, weekly bereavement benefit. A claim pack is available from the Department for Work and Pensions. • Although there is now no general death grant, if you are in receipt of certain social security benefits you may be able to obtain financial help with the cost of a funeral from the Department for Work and Pensions Social Fund. A claim pack is available from them.

4

• A list of all island funeral directors • A list detailing the role of the Isle of Wight branch of

Cruse Bereavement Care • Registering

The Bereavement Advisor will give you the Medical Certificate for the Cause of Death, and will be able to offer you guidance on how to register the death. This should take place within 5 days. If the Coroner is involved the procedure is slightly different and you will be advised on what is required by the Coroners Office.

The role of the Medical Examiner

The medical examiner is an independent senior doctor working in the hospital to ensure the information contained on the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death (MCCD) is correct and that referrals to the Coroner are done in a timely and appropriate manner to avoid any delays. The medical examiner will contact a designated family member to explain the cause of death and answer any questions you may have about the death certificate. You will also be asked if you have any concerns regarding your loved one’s care during the final illness.

Although he or she may not be able to answer your questions immediately, the medical examiner will advise you regarding sources of additional support or information.