St Helier Hospital BB R33 by bereavementadvice

NHS Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust

St Helier Hospital

Information for bereaved relatives

Please ring the Bereavement Office before attending the hospital BEREAVEMENT OFFICE Tel: 020 8296 2491

The death of someone close to you is possibly one of the most distressing events that can happen. At the moment you may feel overwhelmed by the prospect of finding yourself responsible for making the necessary arrangements. The content of this booklet attempts to help with some of the practical issues you or your family may have to deal with at this time. The hospital staff offer you their condolences and are ready to help in any way they can. If you wish to talk to someone, do not hesitate to contact either:

Bereavement Office 020 8296 2491 Monday – Friday 10am – 3pm Chaplaincy and Bereavement Care Team 020 8296 2917

What to do first After someone dies there are a number of things which must be done. The following information may help you with the things that must be done within the first few days and the order in which to do them. Please contact the Bereavement Office before you come to the hospital, their telephone number is 020 8296 2491 - the office is open from 10am – 3pm Monday to Friday. It does not open on public holidays. The Bereavement Officer will electronically send a copy of the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death to Sutton Register Office who will then contact you directly to make an appointment to officially register the death in person. You will be able to purchase copies of the death certificate at this appointment. While the hospital will make every effort to provide the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death as quickly as possible please note that this may sometimes take a number of days. If you wish to see your loved one in the hospital chapel of rest, please contact the bereavement office who will be able to advise if this is possible. It is not advisable to book funeral dates until you have been advised that the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death has been issued by the hospital. Patient’s property Please ask ward staff about any property or valuable items.

At the hospital The Bereavement Office is located on the ground floor of B block. Please do not come to the hospital until we have spoken with you by telephone to advise you when the necessary paperwork will be completed and what to do next.

Lavender flowers are said to represent purity, silence, devotion, serenity, grace and calmness. The fragrance is often used in perfumery and medicine and our local area has a history of Lavender picking. 2

Who are Medical Examiners and Medical Examiner Officers? Since 2019, some senior NHS doctors have chosen to receive specialist training and to spend some of their time working as Medical Examiners. Alongside other specially trained staff, their job is to give independent advice about what caused deaths (except for deaths which have to be reviewed by a Coroner). You may be contacted by a Medical Examiner or Medical Examiner Officer. The Medical Examiner service offer families and carers of the person who has died an opportunity to raise questions or concerns about the causes of death, or about the care the person received before their death. This will usually be through a telephone call. They can explain what medical language means, and make it easier to understand. Medical Examiners also look at the relevant medical records, and discuss the causes of death with the doctor filling in the official form (its official name is the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death). You can be confident Medical Examiners and their staff will provide an independent view, as they will only work on deaths of people where they or their staff have not provided care for the patient. Why am I being asked if I have any concerns? A discussion with a Medical Examiner or Medical Examiner Officer provides you with an opportunity to have an open and honest conversation with someone who was not involved in providing care to the person who died, and anything about the care that may be worrying or of concern. It could be as simple as helping you to understand more about the treatment and causes of death or to understand the medical language used, or there may be something about the care which did not feel right or ideal. This is an opportunity to ask questions and raise concerns.

The Medical Examiner will provide an independent view of causes of death and the care provided. Medical Examiners and their staff will discuss your thoughts, questions and concerns, and if they find issues with care that need further investigation, Medical Examiners will refer these to someone who can do this. As well as answering your questions, this can help the NHS provide better care for other patients and carers in future, for example by uncovering ways in which patient and family care could be improved. Coroners Under certain circumstances, for example if the death was sudden or unexpected or the cause of death has not been determined, a doctor will not be able to issue a Medical Certificate of Cause of Death. In such cases, the doctor must legally inform the Coroner. When the Coroner starts an investigation into a death, the Coroner (not the Medical Examiner) investigates the death independently, though the Medical Examiner may still provide expert medical advice to the Coroner. Some deaths must be notified to the Coroner – you can read about this on the internet (www.gov.uk/government/ publications/notification-of-deaths-regulations-2019-guidance). You can also get the guidance in other formats by emailing the Ministry of Justice at coroners@justice.gov.uk (this is the part of the government responsible for the guidance). The involvement of the Coroner may cause some delay especially if a post mortem examination is required. If a death has been reported to a Coroner, you can still contact your chosen funeral director. The South London Coroner Office telephone number is 0208 313 1883.

Organ and tissue donation Every year the lives of many people are saved with the help of donated organs. However, you may not realise that donated tissue such as eyes, skin, bone and heart valves can also save or dramatically improve the quality of life for others. Many people can be considered as donors and tissue can be donated up to 24-48 hours after death, meaning it would not delay funeral arrangements. People may have discussed donation with family or friends during their lifetime and they may already have registered as a donor, or carried an organ donor card. However, it is possible for a family member to consent on behalf of the deceased, even if they were not previously registered as a donor. We recognise that a decision such as this is personal, and there is absolutely no pressure or need to discuss the issues if you do not wish to do so. However, if you would like more information to consider donation, please speak to a member of staff who will contact the donation specialist nurse on your behalf. From spring 2020, all adults in England will be considered to have agreed to be an organ donor when they die unless they have recorded a decision not to donate or are in one of the excluded groups. Body Donation Some people have previously made arrangements for their body to be used for medical research by one of the London anatomy organisations after their death. If this is the case you should contact the relevant organisation and also inform the Hospital Bereavement Office.

Registration The death needs to be registered with the Registrar ideally within five days. Details of the Register Office are below: Russettings 25 Worcester Road Sutton SM2 6PR Monday to Friday 9am – 12.30pm 1pm – 4.30pm Tel: 020 8770 6790 The Register Office will contact you directly to make an appointment with you to officially register the death in person. At this appointment you will be able to purchase copies of the death certificate. Unless the Coroner is involved (see page 4), a Medical Certificate of Cause of Death will be issued by the hospital and electronically sent to the Register Office. Who can register a death? The person to register the death is usually: • A relative of the deceased (whether or not they were present at death) • A person present at the death • A person who is going to make the funeral arrangements. If you are unsure if you are qualified to register then contact the Register Office.

What will I need to know? • When and where the death occurred • The forenames and surname of the deceased (and maiden name if applicable) • The date and place of birth and usual address • The occupation (and if the deceased was married or in a civil partnership, the name and occupation of the spouse or partner) • If the deceased was married or in a civil partnership, the date of birth of the surviving spouse or civil partner is also required • Whether the deceased was in receipt of a pension or allowance from public funds. It is also helpful to take the birth certificate, marriage or civil partnership (if applicable) and the NHS medical card, if they are available to you. How to get to the Register Office By car From the hospital turn left into Wrythe Lane and proceed to the roundabout. Take the first left and follow the road through to Sutton and the one-way system. Follow the signs for ‘Reigate (A217)’, and ‘Station – Brighton Road’. Opposite Sutton train station, turn right into Mulgrave Road, then first left into Worcester Road. The Register Office is on the left hand side. By public transport From outside the hospital take the 151 bus to Sutton’s main post office in Grove Road. Fifty yards on the left, turn left into Bridge Road. Follow road through into Worcester Road. The Register Office is on the left hand side. Alternatively, walk to Rose Hill roundabout. Turn left to the bus stop and take 164 or 280 to Sutton Station. Cross over the main road to Mulgrave Road and take the first left into Worcester Road where the Register Office is on the left hand side. 7

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The Death Certificate The Registrar will give you: • A Certificate for Burial or Cremation (also known as a ‘green form’). This will be electronically sent to your chosen funeral director. • A Certificate of Registration of Death (Form BD8), issued for social security reasons if the person is in receipt of a state pension. • Death Certificates. There is a fee payable for each certificate and the Registrar will be able to advise you about this. • Tell Us Once. Please be aware the ‘Tell Us Once’ service is available at Sutton Register Office. For further details please talk with the Registrar at your appointment.

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.

The funeral It is advisable that you are in contact with the Bereavement Office before you begin to make funeral arrangements. Once you have registered the death the Register Office will electronically send the Certificate for Burial or Cremation (green form) to your chosen funeral directors to allow them to transfer your deceased loved one from the hospital to the funeral home with fewer delays. As prices can vary considerably it is common to contact more than one funeral director for a written quotation for their services. The chosen funeral director should advise and help you arrange the funeral of your choice. It may be that the deceased has given instructions, either in a Will or to someone personally as to their last wishes. The choice of burial or cremation may also depend on cost or whether there is a family grave. The funeral director will arrange for a local priest, minister or person of your choice to conduct the service. Help with funeral costs Funerals can be expensive. If you are on Income Support, Pension Credit or Housing Benefit, you may be able to get help from the government to help pay for the funeral. Advice can be obtained from www.gov.uk/funeral-payments/how-toclaim or telephone 0800 731 0469. Book of Remembrance If at a future date you wish to have your loved one’s name entered in The Book of Remembrance at St Helier Hospital, please contact The League of Friends 0208 296 2462 between 9am and 1pm or email: val.brundle@nhs.net. 11

Ongoing support You may find the following organisations helpful in support following your bereavement:CRUSE Cruse Bereavement Care, PO Box 800, Richmond, Surrey TW9 1RG Bereavement helpline: 0808 808 1677 www.cruse.org.uk Private counselling services Names and addresses of private counselling services or individual counsellors can be found in public libraries, your local Citizen Advice Bureau or by contacting: The British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy 15 St John’s Business Park, Lutterworth, Leicestershire, LE17 4HB Telephone: 01455 883300 Email: bacp@bacp.co.uk www.bacp.co.uk Religious and cultural groups Care for bereaved people is also offered by local religious or cultural communities. Help can be obtained by contacting the bereaved person’s local church, minister, religious or cultural representatives. Road Peace 3rd Floor, 3Space International House 6 Canterbury Crescent, Brixton, London, SW9 7QD Telephone: 0800 160 1069 www.roadpeace.org Support for those bereaved or injured as a result of a road crash. 12

Samaritans The Upper Mill, Kingston Road, Ewell KT17 2AF 7 Church Street, Leatherhead, Surrey KT22 8AT 4b High Street, Reigate RH2 9AY Offers emotional support, befriending and a sympathetic ear for lonely, suicidal or despairing people of all ages. Telephone: 116 123 www.samaritans.org Terrence Higgins Trust 439 Caledonian Road, London N7 9BG Helpline: 0808 802 1221 www.tht.org.uk Offers individual bereavement counselling for anyone bereaved by HIV or AIDS. The Compassionate Friends Kilburn Grange, Priory Park Road, London NW6 7UJ Helpline: 0345 123 2304 www.tcf.org.uk Offers a befriending service for parents whose child of any age has died from any cause. Telephone number of nearest representative given on the helpline number. The Good Grief Trust www.thegoodgrieftrust.org The Silver Line 7th Floor, One America Square, 17 Crosswall, London EC3N 2LB Helpline: 0800 4 70 80 90 www.thesilverline.org.uk Support for the over 55’s. 13

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Reference: St Helier Hospital Bereavement Booklet Review Date: February 2026 Publication Date: February 2024

The Hospital would like to thank RNS Publications for publishing this information and the following pages contain some features from services offering 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.

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STOPPING JUNK MAIL It is distressing to deal with a bereavement and unsolicited mail can be

insensitive and destructive during a grieving process.

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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.

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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.

RNS Publications, Trium House, Broughton Way, Whitehills, Blackpool, Lancashire FY4 5QN

01253 832400 enquiries@rns.co.uk