North Devon District Hospital Bereavement Booklet

On behalf of the staff working here at North Devon District Hospital & South Molton Community Hospitals we would like to extend our condolences on your bereavement.

The NHS cares for many people at the end of their lives and that care does not end when they die. Bereavement services are a vital part of the service the NHS gives to those in its care and to their bereaved families and friends. Providing a high quality bereavement service which respects the dignity of the person who has died and their families is a key part of effective support for bereaved families.

This is a time of grief and sorrow but it is unfortunately also the time during which a number of matters must be dealt with. These can prove confusing and bewildering and we hope that this booklet will be helpful. It includes advice and guidance for both North Devon District Hospital and South Molton Community Hospital.

If you require assistance urgently for religious reasons, please let us know immediately.

CONTENTS

If you need this information in another format such as audio tape or computer disc, Braille, large print, British Sign Language or translated into another language, please telephone 01271 314090.

If your loved one has died at North Devon District Hospital

Your first point of contact is the Bereavement Support Office at North Devon District Hospital. This office is open from 9am to 4pm, Monday to Friday (excluding bank holidays). Please call the office as soon as you are able, to give us your contact details, on 01271 322 404. If the line is busy, please leave a message on the answer phone and one of the team will return your call as soon as possible. The Bereavement Support Officers are available for advice and information so please call them if you have any questions. You can also email them at rduh.bereavementsupport@nhs.net

How to find us

Go through the main entrance to the lifts and take the lift to Level 0. Turn right out of the lifts and walk a short way down the corridor, the Bereavement Support Office is a door on your left. Please press the buzzer to let us know you have arrived. We kindly request that you let us know when you are coming, so that we can be sure there is someone available to assist you.

Clothing and Valuables

These will usually be collected from the hospital by your chosen Funeral Director. If you need items urgently, please contact us so that this can be arranged.

Paying last respects

It may be possible for you to spend time with the deceased, please telephone the Bereavement Support Office on 01271 322404 to discuss this. If you would like the Hospital Chaplain to be present, please let us know and we will try to arrange this for you.

You may prefer to wait until the deceased is in the care of your chosen Funeral Director. However, you should be aware that some direct cremation companies do not provide this service.

If your loved one has died at South Molton Community Hospital

The Nurses will contact the hospital’s nominated Funeral Director to arrange the transfer of the deceased to a local chapel of rest. This usually takes place within three hours. The family will be informed which local Funeral Director will be caring for their relative on behalf of the hospital. Please note: you do not have to use the hospital’s nominated Funeral Director to make your funeral arrangements. You should make your own decision on whom you appoint to arrange the funeral for you.

The nominated Funeral Director is South Molton Co-operative Funeral service.

Clothing and Valuables

Any property belonging to the deceased can be collected from the ward or hospital office by arrangement with the nursing staff. If valuables are in the hospital safe, they can only be collected during office hours. Please telephone the hospital to arrange a convenient time: 01769 572164

Paying last respects

If you wish to spend time with the deceased, please telephone the Funeral Director caring for your relative to arrange an appointment.

PLEASE NOTE: The following information applies to both hospitals

Medical Examiner Service

A Medical Examiner is a senior Doctor who has not been involved in the care of your next of kin. Their job is to provide an independent review of the care received during the hospital admission.

As part of this process the Medical Examiner Officer will phone to explain about the service and to offer you an opportunity to ask any questions or raise any concerns that you may have about the care whilst in hospital.

During this call the Medical Examiner Office will tell you what the cause of death will be as recorded on the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death (MCCD).

Once the MCCD has been written by a Doctor from the team who looked after your next of kin, it will be emailed directly to the Devon Registration Office. We will give them your contact details and they will call you as soon as they are ready for registration of the death to go ahead.

Post Mortem

Sometimes the Coroner will decide that there must be a post mortem and/or an inquest. If this is the case the Medical Examiner’s Team will let you know, and the Coroners Office will contact you. If you have any questions about the involvement of the Coroner we can explain this to you in more detail.

A hospital Doctor may ask your permission to carry out a post mortem examination to further understand the cause of death and to help with future diagnosis and treatment for other patients. It is up to you whether you give your consent for this to take place. The Bereavement Support Officers will provide you with information about the examination so that you are able to make an informed decision before you give consent. This examination does not usually delay arrangements for the funeral.

Arranging the funeral

You do not have to have a funeral ceremony, religious minister, or use a Funeral Director.

If you wish to use a Funeral Director, you do not need to wait until the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death has been completed before contacting them. However, any provisional arrangements can only be finalised once the Funeral Director has received the certificate for burial or cremation (green form) from the Registrar following registration of the death.

If you choose a direct cremation company, please call the NDDH Bereavement Support Office who can provide advice, as there will be choices which you will need to make on the service they provide for you.

If you are unsure of the wishes of the deceased regarding the funeral, you may find they have included this in their Will. If you held Power of Attorney for the person who has died, please be aware that this ceases on their death. The Executors of the Will – if there are any – would usually take over arrangements.

Funeral Directors are valuable sources of information and advice and most are open seven days a week. The cost of a funeral can vary greatly so you may wish to ask for a brochure and price list to compare costs before making a decision.

If you receive state benefits you can apply for help to fund part of the cost of the funeral. Your Funeral Director can advise you, or you can go to: gov.uk/funeral-payments. You can also call the Department for Work and Pensions Customer Service line on 0800 731 0469.

Tissue Donation

Some people have made a decision to donate organs and tissues after their death. The deceased person may have discussed donation with you during their lifetime.

If you wish to consider donation, eyes for corneal transplant may be donated up to 24 hours after death. Donation will not delay funeral plans or alter the appearance of the deceased.

If the person who has died has completed forms regarding donation of their body to medical science you should contact the telephone number on the form straight away. Please also let your Funeral Director know. You cannot usually donate the body on someone’s behalf after their death as this has to be done by the person in life. However, it is possible to donate the brain and spinal cord for research into diseases such as dementia. There is a very short timescale after a death for this to be arranged, so if you would like more information you are advised to make immediate contact with:

• NDDH Bereavement Support Office: 01271 322404 (in office hours)

• NHS Blood and Transplant National Helpline referral centre on: 0800 432 0559 (24 hour pager)

• S.W. Dementia Brain Bank, Bristol: 0117 414 7821

Hospital Chaplaincy and Pastoral Care

The Hospital Chaplaincy team are here to support you and your family through this emotional time. This support is available for everyone and is not dependent on belonging to any faith group.

The Hospital Chaplain can be contacted via the North Devon District Hospital switchboard on 01271 322577.

At NDDH, the Hospital Chapel and Faith Centre on Level 1 and the Garden of Remembrance opposite the main hospital entrance are always open for private reflection.

Registering the Death

The Medical Examiners Team will contact you to explain the content of the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death. The Bereavement Support Office will scan the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death directly to the Registrar’s Office along with your contact details, the Registrar will then contact you to make an appointment to register the death. If the death is being dealt with by the Coroner, the Coroner’s Office will contact the Registration Service directly giving them authorisation to register the death. Your contact details will be passed to the Registration Service and as soon as they have received the Coroner’s authorisation the Registrar’s Office will contact you to arrange an appointment.

In order to register the death you must be either a relative of the deceased, have been present at the time of death or be the person making the funeral arrangements. If you need to contact the Devon Registration Office, their number is 0345 155 1002.

This line is open 8am to 8pm Monday to Friday, 9am to 1pm Saturday. The Registrar will talk to you about the person who has just died and you will need to know the following:

• The full names and surname (and maiden/previous surname)

• The date and place of their death

• Their last permanent address

• The date and place of their birth

• Their occupation (or former occupation if retired)

• If married, the name, occupation, date and place of birth of their marriage partner

The Registrar will tell you how to order copies of the Death Certificate.

You will need to get copies of the Death Certificate for a number of official purposes. We cannot say how many you will need as individual circumstances vary. As an example you may need copies for such things as insurance, premium bonds, bank accounts and private pensions. There is a fee for providing copies of the Death Certificate, please note that there is no free copy of the certificate. Some organisations will need a certified copy, but some will accept an electronic copy or photocopy – please check with them what you will need to provide.

If there has been a Coroners post mortem, the Coroners Office will issue the required information to the Registration Office once their enquiries are complete. You will then complete the registration of the death as described above.

If there is to be a Coroner’s Inquest, the death is not registered at this stage; the Coroners Officers will explain the process to you.

If you wish to contact Exeter Coroners Office, you can:

• Telephone them: 01392 383636

• Email: Exetercoronersofficers@devonandcornwall.pnn. police.uk

Letting people know about the death

When you speak to the Registration Office they will offer you their “Tell Us Once” service. They are able to pass on the relevant information about the person who has died to the Department for Work and Pensions, and other organisations such as: H.M.Revenue and Customs, Passport Service, Council Tax Office, Electoral Service, and the DVLA. As it may be a few days before this can be done, you can put an immediate stop to State Pension and Benefit payments by calling the Department for Work and Pensions Customer Service line on 0800 731 0469. They can also advise on bereavement benefits and help with funeral costs.

People and organisations that may need to be informed of the death:

• Local Social Services if meals on wheels, home help, or day centre transport were used

• Any other hospital the person was attending

• Banks, Building Societies, insurance provider etc

• Appointed Solicitor and Executors of the Will

• Any employer or trade union

• A child or young person’s teacher, employer or college should be informed if a parent, brother, sister, grandparent or close friend has died

• Car insurance and other insurance companies. People driving a car insured in the deceased’s name are not legally insured

• Gas, electricity and telephone providers, newsagents

• The Local Housing Department, landlord or mortgage company need to be informed depending on the deceased’s housing affairs

Stopping Junk Mail to the recently deceased

If someone you know has died, the amount of unwanted marketing post being sent to them can be greatly reduced which helps to stop painful daily reminders.

By registering with the free service www.stopmail.co.uk the names and addresses of the deceased are removed from mailing lists, stopping most advertising mail within as little as six weeks. If you cannot access the internet you can call 0808 168 9607, where you will be asked for very simple information that will take only a few minutes to complete. Alternatively, ask the bereavement team for a leaflet that can be returned in the post.

This free of charge service provided by the Bereavement Support Network will actively reduce the unwanted marketing mail but also can help reduce the likelihood of identity theft following the death of someone close. The information is not used for any other purpose and you only have to complete this once. Additionally to Stop Mail a comparable service can also be accessed from the Bereavement Register or Deceased Preference Service if you would prefer to use them.

Probate and legal advice

If you have difficulty in dealing with the deceased’s property, possessions or guardianship of their children, seek advice from a solicitor or the citizens advice bureau as soon as possible. If there is no Will, speaking with a solicitor may be helpful. Many solicitors are prepared to offer up to half an hour of free legal advice.

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).

If you need any further advice on probate please contact the National Probate helpline on 0300 1231072 or use this link: www.gov.uk/wills-probate-inheritance

Further information and support

Check for any library books that might need returning.

Any large items of NHS or Social Services equipment should be returned, please contact Millbrook Healthcare in Exeter, 0330 124 4491 for advice.

Bereavement is a very personal event and you may go though a range of emotions and reactions. This can be very upsetting but realising that these feelings are quite normal may help.

Grief may affect you emotionally, physically and mentally or you may be too shocked to feel anything at first.

It is important to ask for help and support. This may be from family and friends initially.

Your Doctor can help if you feel the need for medical support to help you through your bereavement. There is help available and you shouldn’t hesitate to contact your family Doctor.

Cruse Bereavement Care provides free practical and emotional support for anyone who has been bereaved.

Help is also available from most local Church or faith groups. Pastoral support can be beneficial in helping anyone come to terms with loss, helplessness and grief experienced in bereavement. The Hospital Chaplaincy Service is available for anyone, to support you as appropriate.

Helpful contacts

Cruse Bereavement Care

Offers free information, advice and support to bereaved people.

0808 808 1677

www.cruse.org.uk

Cruse Bereavement Care in Devon

0300 330 5466

Samaritans

devon@cruse.org.uk

Provides a confidential 24 hour telephone helpline.

116 123 Freephone

Age UK

www.samaritans.org

Provides advice, information and support to people in later life.

0800 169 2081

Child Bereavement UK

www.ageuk.org.uk

Provides specialised support and information to all those affected when a child dies or when a child is bereaved.

0800 0288840

www.childbereavementuk.org (free from landline)

Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB)

03444 111 444

Families in Grief (FIG)

www.citizensadvice.org.uk

Help bereaved children, young people and their families

01237 479027

Pete’s Dragons

www.familiesingrief.org

Help people living through the suicide of a loved one.

01395 277780

www.petesdragons.org.uk

The Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) ensures that the NHS listens to patients, relatives, carers and friends, answers questions and resolves concerns as quickly as possible. If you have a query or concern, please visit them in the Information Centre on Level 2 at North Devon District Hospital or contact them on 01271 314090 or rduh.pals-northern@nhs.net.

Have your say

Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust (RDUH) aims to provide high quality services. However, please tell us when something could be improved. If you have a comment or compliment about our service, please let us know.

If you would like to make a formal complaint, please contact the Customer Relations Manager on 01271 322334. Compliments or concerns can also be sent to the Chief Executive, Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, Raleigh Park, Barnstaple, EX31 4JB

Disclaimer

Whilst the Trust is grateful of the support of companies advertising, we stress that any inclusion of any advertisement in this booklet does not imply approval or recommendation of the advertisers by the Trust, nor does the Trust necessarily support the product advertised.

Reference: Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust Bereavement Book

Review Date: August 2025

Publication Date: August 2023

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.

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.