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 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 someone 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 - 4pm, Monday - Friday (excluding bank holidays). Please call the office as soon as you are able, to give us your contact details, on 01271 322404. 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.nddhbereavementsupport@nhs.net
How to find us
Go through the main entrance to the lifts and take the lift to level zero. 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.
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 the deceased. Their job is to provide an independent review of the care received during the hospital admission.
As part of the process a Medical Examiner’s 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’s Officer 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 the deceased, it will be emailed directly to the Devon Registration Service. 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.
Our Medical Examiner’s team will arrange for the MCCD to be issued as quickly as possible. The registration service states that a death should be registered within five days. On occasions this process may take longer, please do not worry, the Registrar stays in contact with the Medical Examiner’s Office so they will be aware of any delays.
Coroner
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 Coroner’s Office will contact you. If you have any questions about the involvement of the Coroner, the Medical Examiner’s team can explain this to you in more detail. If you need to contact the Coroner’s Office they can be contacted directly via their email coroner@devon.gov.uk or by telephone on 01392 383636.
Hospital post mortem
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 (MCCD) 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.
Funeral options
There are different options for the funeral, including burial or cremation, using a funeral director, natural/green burial service or a direct cremation service.
Some of the things you might want to ask before making a choice include:
• Who will collect and care for the person who has died?
• Can we come and visit them while they are in your care?
• Are you able to dress the deceased or remove a pacemaker if fitted and does this incur a charge?
• Where will the person who has died be cremated (if direct cremation)?
• What is the full breakdown of any additional costs?
Direct cremation is usually a fixed-price option with no service or ceremony for mourners to attend. If you have chosen to use a company that specialises in direct cremation services, it is important for you to know that they may not offer the same service as a local funeral director. It is likely that they will take the deceased to another county for cremation, will not offer viewings, and additional charges can be accrued for services such as changing clothes and removing pacemakers.
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 in paying for funeral costs. You can obtain form SF200 from your local Department for Work and Pensions Office or Job Centre Plus. Please check what costs the social fund will cover. Your funeral director can also 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.
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.
At NDDH, the Hospital Chapel and Faith Centre on level one and the Garden of Remembrance opposite the main hospital entrance are always open for private reflection.
During this time you may feel that you need the support of others. It may help to speak to someone about your feelings. This is often a difficult time for family and friends too and they may be afraid to speak about your loved one for fear of upsetting you. You may need to take the first step and let them know you would like their support.
The Hospital Chaplaincy and Pastoral Care Service are here to support you and, if you wish, they can put you in touch with a minister of your own faith or denomination. They can be contacted on 01271 322362 or via the hospital switchboard on 01271 322577 or you can email them on rduh.chaplaincy-northern@nhs.net
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 the death certificate and any copies you request. 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 Coroner’s post mortem, the Coroner’s Office will issue the required information to the registration service 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 Coroner’s Officers will explain the process to you.
If you need to contact the Coroner’s Office they can be contacted directly via their email coroner@devon.gov.uk or by telephone on 01392 383636.
Letting people know about the death
When you speak to the registration service 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 you may need to notify:
Legal/Financial
q Bank/Building Society
q Insurance companies
q Solicitor q Credit card companies
Employment/Pension
q Dept for Work & Pensions q Employer
q Social Security office q Trade Union
q Inland Revenue
Domestic & Personal
q TV Licensing q Vehicle Licensing
q Gas/Electricity/Water q Council Offices
q Newspaper/Milkman
q Cancel appointments
q Telephone Companies q Clubs/Associations
q Rental Companies q Royal Mail deliveries
Items that may need returning:
q Pensions/Benefits books q Passport
q Driving Licence q National Insurance card
q NHS equipment on loan q Library cards/season
q Store cards/Loyalty cards tickets
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).
Although settling the estate of the one who has died can be confusing and distressing, obtaining probate for an estate through the Probate Registry can be quite simple, though a little time consuming. This can reduce costs considerably for the Executor. (Probate is the court’s authority to administer a deceased person’s estate). If you are the Executor, it is your responsibilty to see that the person’s wishes, as you understand them, are carried out. This will include payment of funeral expenses, debts and taxes, as well as the disposal of their possessions and assets.
If it seems likely to be complex it may be worth using solicitors and accountants to sort it all out. Fees will be charged for those services and they will come out of the estate. You will need to make it clear precisely what work they need to do for you.
Whilst this is going on, access to monies in the estate can be difficult but banks and building societies may write a cheque out of the estate to cover funeral expenses even before probate is granted.
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 devon@cruse.org.uk
Samaritans
Provides a confidential 24 hour telephone helpline. 116 123 Freephone www.samaritans.org
Age UK
Provides advice, information and support to people in later life.
0800 678 1602 www.ageuk.org.uk
Child Bereavement UK
Provides specialised support and information to all those affected when a child dies or when a child is bereaved.
0800 028 8840 www.childbereavementuk.org (free from landline)
Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB)
0800 144 8848 www.citizensadvice.org.uk
Families in Grief (FIG)
Help bereaved children, young people and their families 01237 479027 www.familiesingrief.org
Pete’s Dragons
Help people living through the suicide of a loved one. 01395 277780 www.petesdragons.org.uk
