At North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust (NCIC) we aim to provide our patients and their loved ones with excellent care. Gaining feedback from family, friends and carers is extremely valuable in helping us to develop our services.
We would be grateful if you would complete a questionnaire about your experience by scanning the QR code on the letter within the pack.
This can be completed when you feel ready. There is no time limit for completion.
If you would prefer to have a paper version of the questionnaire sent to you, along with a pre-paid return envelope, please contact the Patient Experience Team on 01228 814309 or by email PET@nicic.nhs.uk
We wish to offer our deepest sympathy to you and your family for the loss of your loved one.
We understand that this may be a very distressing time for you and realise that there are many arrangements you will have to make over the next few days. We hope this booklet will help you with these arrangements.
Please Note:
Whilst the information will be correct at the time of printing, please note that some of the information in this booklet may be subject to change. We thank you for your patience and understanding.
Useful contact information
When a person dies you are given a lot of information and it can be difficult to take it all in. If you should have any questions about your loved one’s treatment, it can help the grieving process if your queries are addressed. This can be done straight away after a death, or later once the busy period following a death has passed.
If you have a question regarding the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death or the death registration process, please contact the Medical Examiner’s Office on 01228 814270 or 01946 523489.
If your loved one died in a North Cumbria Integrated Care Foundation Trust, (NCIC), hospital and you require bereavement support, or advice and guidance regarding practical issues such as funeral arrangements, please contact Bereavement Services on 01228 616878 (Cumberland Infirmary), or 01946 523309 (West Cumberland Hospital).
If your loved one died in the care of Cumbria Northumberland Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust, (CNTW), please call 0191 246 6800 for advice.
If your loved one died in the care of University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust, (UHMBT), please call their bereavement service on 01524 512406 or email bereavement.office@mbht.nhs.uk
If your loved one died at home or in the community, please contact the person’s GP practice for advice.
Tissue Donation
When someone dies, it is often possible for tissue to be donated to improve the lives of others.
Eyes, heart valves, skin, bone and tendons can be donated. Most tissue needs to be taken within 24 hours of a patient’s death but sometimes it is possible to donate up to 48 hours after.
If you would like to discuss tissue donation, please contact The National Referral Centre on 0800 432 0559, (24 hour service).
A ward nurse, community nurse or the bereavement service can contact the Tissue Donation National Referral Centre on your behalf if you feel unable to do so.
For more information, please refer to: www.nhsbt.nhs.uk/what-we-do/transplantation-services/ tissue-and-eye-services
Visiting your loved one
You may wish to spend some time with your loved one after they have died.
If your loved one is resting in the mortuary at The Cumberland Infirmary or West Cumberland Hospital, there is a special room set aside for visiting at each site. Please use the contact numbers below to arrange a visit. Alternatively, you may prefer to visit your loved one when they have been taken into the care of your chosen Funeral Director.
Cumberland Infirmary
Opening Hours
Mon- Fri 9.00am - 4.00pm
Tel 01228 814522
After 4.00pm and at weekends contact 01228 523444 to arrange an appointment
West Cumberland Hospital
Opening Hours
Mon-Fri 9.00am - 4.00pm
Tel 01946 523438
After 4.00pm and at weekends contact 01946 693181 to arrange an appointment
If your loved one is resting at another hospital, please ring the hospital concerned and ask to be put through to the mortuary team who will be able to advise on visiting arrangements.
The Medical Examiner Process
In most cases after someone dies, a Medical Certificate of Cause of Death, (MCCD), will be completed by a doctor who has treated them. This could be a hospital doctor or a GP. This will be done as soon as possible but usually takes several days.
In some cases, the death will be referred to the Coroner, who will decide whether a post mortem examination is required. (More information about the Coroner can be found on page 9).
It is a statutory requirement that both of these processes are overseen by a medical examiner, (ME), a specially trained, senior doctor who has not been involved in the care of the person who has died. The team of MEs is supported by medical examiner officers, (MEOs). You will receive a telephone call from the Medical Examiner Office, or from the Coroner’s Office within a few days of the death, to advise you of the next steps such as registering the death.
You may also receive a call from a hospital bereavement service if your loved one has died in a hospital.
The Death Registration Process
If a MCCD is completed, it will be sent electronically to the registration service, who will then contact you to arrange an appointment to register the death.
At this appointment, you may purchase as many copies of the death certificate as you need.
If a MCCD is not issued, the Coroner’s Office will be able to provide interim death certificates and will advise you when the death can be registered.
If someone has died in Cumberland (this was previously Copeland, Allerdale and Carlisle areas), you can register the death with Cumberland Registration Service. Phone 0300 373 3730
If someone has died in Westmorland and Furness (this was previously Eden, South Lakeland and Barrow), you can register the death with Westmorland and Furness Registration Service.
The person registering the death must be one of the following:
• A relative of the person who has died
• A person present during their last illness
• A person present at the time of death
• A person making the funeral arrangements
Personal Property of Hospital Patients or Care Home Residents
If your loved one has died in a hospital, their property should be taken home at the time of the death. This will minimize the risk of property being mislaid. If this is not possible, collection should be arranged at the earliest opportunity. Please telephone the ward or the bereavement service, (see telephone numbers on page 1), in advance to make arrangements for collection.
If your loved one has died in a care home, please discuss property with the staff who will advise and make arrangements with you.
You may be asked for some identification documents or for a letter of authority to ensure that you are entitled to collect the property.
Chaplaincy and Spiritual Care
When a loved one dies, it can be helpful to talk to someone outside your circle of family and friends. Grief and loss can often raise particular spiritual or religious issues.
If your loved one died in one of the North Cumbria Integrated Care Trust hospitals, the chaplaincy service can offer pastoral and spiritual care for people of all faiths and none.
If you wish to speak with a hospital chaplain, please contact the main switchboard on 01228 523444.
If your loved one died in a care home or at home, your local faith community will be able to support you.
The Role of the Coroner
In certain situations the doctor cannot issue a Medical Certificate of Cause of Death, but has to refer the death to the Coroner. The most common circumstances are:
• after an accident or injury
• if the patient suffered from an industrial disease
• if the patient died during a surgical operation
• before recovery from an anaesthetic
• the cause of death is unknown
• if the cause of death was violent or unnatural, for example suicide, accident, drug or alcohol overdose
• if the death was unexplained
• if the death occurred in custody or state detention
• if neglect is suspected
The Coroner will decide whether a Medical Certificate of Cause of Death can be issued or if a post mortem examination and/or an inquest is required. If a post mortem is necessary it will be carried out by a pathologist, a specialist doctor whose job is to inform the Coroner, if possible, how the patient died. You do not have the right to object to a Coroners post mortem however, the Coroner will give due consideration to any concerns you may have.
Once the post mortem has taken place, you will be contacted by the Coroners’ office and advised of the outcome. If the death was of a natural cause, the Coroner will notify the Register Office and you will be able to register the death.
If the cause of death is not clear from the post mortem, or if the Coroner feels the death requires further inquiry to find out how the person died, a formal investigation will be commenced. If the death is then found to be natural the case will be discontinued.
If the death is unnatural, there will be an inquest. An inquest is a hearing held in public and sometimes with a jury. At an inquest you would be given the opportunity to question witnesses either directly or through a solicitor. The inquest will not delay the funeral arrangements as the Coroner will issue an interim certificate of fact of death which will enable you to start dealing with your loved ones financial affairs.
As soon as the Coroner decides to hold an inquest, it will be opened and adjourned and the final hearing will take place at a later date. This may be some months ahead.
The Coroner is supported by Coroners’ Officers who you can call to discuss any enquiries.
Coroner’s Office telephone: 0300 303 3180.
Arranging a Funeral
Before making any arrangements with a funeral director it is suggested you look through any records of the person who has died as they may have already paid for their funeral whilst they were alive.
If there are no arrangements already made, you may approach a funeral director of your choice at any time. You may find it helpful to contact a funeral director as soon as possible. You do not have to wait until you have the death certificate, however they will not be able to confirm arrangements until the death has been registered or the Coroner has arranged for an Interim death certificate to be given.
Funerals can be expensive and there are a wide range of options you can choose from. Your funeral director should be able to advise you further on these.
It is a good idea to contact more than one funeral director to compare costs before making a final decision.
If you are on a low income you may be able to get help from the state towards the cost of the funeral. Your funeral director will be able to advise you or you can contact the DWP Bereavement Service helpline on 0800 731 0469.
Coping with Grief
Every person feels differently when a loved one dies. There is no right or wrong way to feel after the death of a loved one. Some will prefer to deal with their feelings on their own, whilst others seek support from friends, a person or a group of people who have had similar experiences of grief. They may prefer to contact a person with professional training such as a counsellor or a psychologist. What is important is that there is support available and it is normal to need support in coming to terms with your loss.
Examples of emotional feelings following bereavement
• Guilt and regret – regret that you may not have said or done everything you wanted to say or do, especially if the death was sudden and unexpected
• Injustice – Why did they have to die? Why did this have to happen to me?
• Envy – others may have what you no longer have since losing your loved one
• Anger – that they couldn’t be cured, that others survived, angry with your loved one that they died and now you are suffering
• Loneliness – you may feel no-one understands
• Depression – a natural part of the mourning process. The feeling that it is difficult to go on; losing interest in life. (If you have thoughts of self-harm or suicide please seek urgent help from a health professional)
• Relief – that your loved one is no longer suffering, or that you do not have to care for them anymore
Examples of physical effects of bereavement
• Sleep disruption – can’t get to sleep or can’t stay asleep, waking early
• Loss of appetite – you may not feel like eating, or feel sick when you do
• Exhaustion – if you aren’t sleeping or eating well you will feel tired and worn out
• Restlessness – you may find it hard to concentrate or relax
• Anxiety and panic – with these unfamiliar feelings you may become anxious and panicky
• Inability to cope – everyday things such as cooking, shopping or work may be difficult to cope with
• Loss of interest – things that were once pleasurable may now feel meaningless
• Irritability – you may find yourself ‘snapping’ with others
• Tearfulness – you may cry a lot, but crying can help
Important note:
These are all normal symptoms of grief which should become less acute with time and support from friends and family. If you are struggling to cope with your grief symptoms or feel that they are not getting better with time, please reach out to a bereavement expert or health professional who can assess your needs and help you to access appropriate support.
Useful Resources
Age UK: Carlisle and Eden
General support and advice
01228 536 673
www.ageuk.org.uk
Age UK: West Cumbria
General support and advice 08443 843 843
www.ageuk.org.uk
Child Bereavement UK
Support for the loss of a child or for bereaved children
For anyone bereaved through alcohol or drugs 0808 808 1677 www.beadproject.org.uk
CRUSE Bereavement Care Cumbria
General bereavement support 0300 600 3434 www.crusecumbria.org.uk/contact
Eden Valley Hospice
Bereavement support and counselling
01228 810 801
www.edenvalleyhospice.org
Hope Again
The CRUSE project for bereaved children and young people
0808 808 1677
www.hopeagain.org.uk
Hospice at Home Carlisle and North Lakeland
Support pre and post bereavement to individuals 18 years and older
01228 608942
www.hospiceathome.co.uk
Hospice at Home West Cumbria
General advice and support
01900 705200
www.hospiceathomewestcumbria.org.uk
The Lullaby Trust
Support following a sudden and unexpected infant death
0808 802 6868
Macmillan Cancer Support
For anyone bereaved due to cancer
020 7840 7840
www.macmillan.org.uk
Samaritans
For anyone in crisis or feeling suicidal – 24hr support 116 123
www.samaritans.org
SANDS
Support following a stillbirth or neonatal death
0808 164 3332
www.sands.org.uk
Stop Mail
Stopping Junk Mail to the recently deceased. Removing the deceased information from mailing lists, stopping most advertising mail within as little as six weeks
0808 168 9607
www.stopmail.co.uk
Time To Share Bereavement Services C.I.C
Offering specialist child-led therapeutic support to children and their families in Copeland who have experienced a significant bereavement or loss
Email: timetoshareberservice@gmail.com
Tel: 07926 385262 (between 9am-3pm Mon-Fri)
Reference: North Cumbria Integrated Care Bereavement Booklet V.1
Review Date: July 2026
Publication Date: July 2024
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.
STOPPING JUNK MAIL
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.
This publication has been jointly developed between ourselves and the hospital. We hope that it has been or will be of help at this time and we welcome any comments or suggestions that you may have.
Please contact us either by phone, email or by post.
