NHS
Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
For you in your loss PRACTICAL HELP FOR BEREAVED PEOPLE
Memories are the loveliest thing, They last from day to day, They can’t get lost, They don’t wear out, And can’t be given away. (ANON) This booklet is designed to be a practical help to bereaved people. The information included is not meant to replace advice already given by others, but to offer a simple guide to what has to be done.
Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust Arrowe Park Hospital Arrowe Park Road Upton Wirral CH49 5PE Tel: 0151 678 5111
May we offer our sympathy to you, your family and friends during this very sad time. We hope that you will find this booklet helpful during the next few days with all the arrangements that need to be made. It is designed to provide practical advice and gives guidance on who can help and where further information can be obtained, as well as explaining procedures such as registering the death and arranging the funeral. The following is a quick-step guide to help you: 1. Telephone the Bereavement Services Office the day after the death from 12noon onwards on 0151 604 7346 and give your details. 2.
To ensure you are not unnecessarily delayed, please do not attend the hospital until you have been informed the medical certificate has been completed. Once the certificate is ready for collection, a member of staff from the Bereavement Services Office will contact you to arrange an appointment.
3. Once you have made the appointment to collect the certificate, you should make an appointment with the Registrar of Deaths on 0151 606 2020 If you are not sure what to do, please ask for help or support from Bereavement Services Office staff. Funeral directors are also very helpful and will guide you as much as they can. The days following your bereavement can be very difficult, but it is important that formalities are dealt with promptly.
Contents Arrowe Park Hospital - Map....................................................................................................................1 What you need to do next..........................................................................................................................2 To register the death...........................................................................................................................................3 Tell Us Once Service........................................................................................................................................5-6 Stopping Junk Mail to the recently deceased...............................................................7 If the death is referred to the Coroner......................................................................................8 Post-Mortem Examinations......................................................................................................................10 Visiting your relative/friend in our Lily Suite.....................................................................11 Arranging the funeral and choosing a funeral director....................................12 Wills.............................................................................................................................................................................................16 Who needs to be told about the death....................................................................................17 Spiritual and Pastoral support..............................................................................................................18 Grief.............................................................................................................................................................................................19 Support Groups..........................................................................................................................................................21 Other Support Groups......................................................................................................................................22 Useful Addresses....................................................................................................................................................26
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NHS Foundation Trust
Wirral University Teaching Hospital
NHS
Arrowe Park Hospital - Map “D Block” including Bereavement Office
What you need to do next Following the death of a relative or friend there are certain things you need to do: Please telephone Bereavement Services at Arrowe Park Hospital after 12noon the day after the death (except weekends and Bank Holidays) in order to make an appointment to collect the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death and any other relevant documentation and personal effects. Please do not come to the hospital without an appointment as your paperwork may not be ready. Telephone Number: 0151 604 7346 or 0151 678 5111 extension 2063 or 2462 Office hours are: Monday – Friday
10.00am – 16.00pm
Verification of death Verification of death is the legal time when a medical practitioner verifies the date and time of death. This is the date and time which is entered on the Medical Cause of Death Certificate and subsequent Cremation paper (if applicable). Unfortunately if your loved one passes away close to midnight the verification may not be completed the same day and may be after midnight. For example if your loved one passes away at 11.30pm on the 01st the verification may not be completed until 12.30am on the 02nd, the date of death will then be the 02nd. As a Trust we endeavour to verify within the same day but this is not always possible.
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To register the death The Registrar’s Office is situated in the Town Hall (front entrance), Hamilton Square, Birkenhead and is open from 9am - 4pm (by appointment only Monday -Friday). Parking is available directly outside the Town Hall for a small fee. The Registrar’s Office is not open on Bank Holidays. Deaths are registered in the mornings and should be done within five working days (this can change if there is a delay with the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death). How to register the death • Collect the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death from the Bereavement Office. • Make an appointment at the Registrar’s Office, either by telephone 0151 606 2020 or you can go to www.wirral.gov.uk/births-deaths-and-marriages/deaths/register-death and book an appointment. • You must collect the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death from the Bereavement Office before making your appointment at the Registrar’s Office. Who can Register the Death • A relative of the person who has died. • Someone present at the death. • The person making the funeral arrangements. Please note if English is not your first language you may prefer to take someone with you to help. What needs to be taken to register the death: • The Medical Certificate of the Cause of Death. • The deceased person’s medical card, if available. • The deceased person’s birth certificate, if available. • The deceased person’s marriage certificates, if appropriate and available. 3
What the Registrar will need to know: • The date and place of death. • The deceased person’s last usual address. • The deceased person’s first names, surname (and maiden name where appropriate). • The deceased person’s date and place of birth (town and county if born in the UK and country if born abroad). • The deceased person’s occupation (or last occupation if retired), and the name and occupation of their spouse if applicable. • Whether the person who died was receiving a pension or allowance from public funds. • If the person who died was married, the date of birth of the surviving widow or widower. The Registrar will give you: • A Certification of Burial or Cremation: this certificate is green in colour and should be given to your funeral director as early as possible. • A Certificate of Registration of Death (Form BD8): this may need to be sent to the Benefits Agency and is provided free of charge. Read the information on the back of the certificate and if any of it applies, fill in the certificate and post or take it to the Benefits Agency. • The Death Certificate: this is a copy of the entry in the Death Register. You may need one or more death certificates for the will, and for any pension claims, insurance policies, etc.; many companies will not accept photocopies. All certificates are available at a cost of £11.00 per certificate and you can purchase these at the time of registration.
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Tell Us Once Service When someone has died, there are several organisations that need to know. The ‘Tell us Once’ service allows you to report a death only once. The information is given to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) who will then pass it on to a number of other government departments and council services. How to use the service Once you’ve registered the death, the registrar will explain how to use the service. You can: • Tell us online by visiting www.gov.uk/tell-us-once (you will need a reference number which the registrar will give you) • call the Department for Work and Pensions on 0800 085 7308 • visit any council One Stop Shop. Call 0151 606 2220 to make an appointment Information you will need to provide The DWP will need the deceased’s: • National Insurance Number • death certificate • details of any benefits or services they were receiving The DWP may ask for information about: • their next of kin • any surviving husband/wife or civil partner • anybody who is getting child benefit on their behalf • the person dealing with their estate You must get the agreement of the people listed above if you are going to provide the DWP with information about them. If you are not the next of kin, or the person dealing with the deceased’s estate, you can still use the service if you have the authority to act on their behalf. Please remember that it is still your responsibility to make sure any organisation that pays a benefit has correct and up-to-date information. 5
Organisations Tell Us Once will contact The DWP can contact the following organisations: • • • • • • • • •
Department for Work and Pensions The Pension Service Disability and Carers Service Jobcentre Plus HM Revenue and Customs Child Benefits Tax Credits Identity and Passport Service Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority
The DWP can also contact the following departments if you ask us to: • • • • • • • •
Council Tax Housing and Council Tax Benefits Disabled Blue Badge Adult Social Care Children’s Social Care Collection of payment for council services Electoral services Wirral Library Service
If you attend an appointment at the council the DWP can also contact the following departments and organisations for you: • • • • • • •
Business Rates Wirral Council’s leisure service adaptation and equipment service Property Pool Plus (housing waiting list) technical services department Magenta Living Merseyside Pension Service
The organisations the DWP give your information to will only use it as the law allows. The DWP will only notify those services that you request. 6
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.
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If the death is referred to the Coroner • In some instances there is a legal requirement for the doctor to refer a death to the Coroner. About one third of all deaths in this country are referred to the Coroner. This will often result in a post-mortem examination. Who are Coroners? • Coroners are usually lawyers but in some cases they may be doctors. • Coroners are independent judicial officers - this means that no-one else can tell them or direct them as to what they should do but they must follow the laws and regulations which apply. • Coroners are helped by their officers, who receive the reports of deaths and make enquiries on behalf of the Coroner. What does the Coroner do? A Coroner enquires into those deaths reported to them. It is their duty to find out the medical cause of the death, if it is not known, and to enquire about the cause of death, when it is sudden or unexplained. Are all deaths reported to the Coroner? No. In most cases your relative/friend’s own doctor, or a hospital doctor who had been treating him/her, is able to give a cause of death. How are deaths reported to the Coroner? • Deaths are usually reported to the Coroner by the police or by the hospital doctor who had been treating your relative/friend. • A doctor will also report an unexpected death.
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When is a death reported to the Coroner? The death will be reported to the Coroner if it is difficult to establish the cause of death, it may be necessary to involve the Coroner in the following circumstances: • All sudden and unexplained deaths. • Cause of death unknown. • Where the cause of death is unnatural e.g. suicide, accident, poisoning. • If the death occurred while the patient was undergoing a medical procedure. • If the death is caused by an industrial disease. • Custodial death, arrested by the Police, detained in prison or under the mental health act. What will the Coroner do? • The Coroner may decide that your relative/friend’s death was quite natural and will allow a doctor to issue a Medical Certificate of Cause of Death. • If not, the Coroner may ask a pathologist to examine the body by means of a post-mortem examination. • If the result of the post-mortem examination shows the death to have been of natural causes, the Coroner will issue a certificate and this will be sent to the Register Office directly. • The Coroner will advise you once this certificate has been issued and you may then make an appointment to register the death at the Register Office.
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Post-Mortem Examinations Coroners Post-Mortem • The Coroner may order a post-mortem examination when the cause of death is uncertain. • The decision is at the discretion of the Coroner. • Consent from the relatives is not needed. • Organs or tissue cannot be taken from the body for any purpose except to establish the cause of death and they can not be retained longer than necessary to establish that purpose. • After the post-mortem the Coroner completes the death certificate. What if the death was not due to natural causes? • The Coroner will hold an inquest but they can usually issue a certificate so that burial or cremation can take place before the inquest. • An inquest is an inquiry to find out who has died and how, when and where they died, together with information needed by the Registrar of Deaths, so that the death can be registered. For further information regarding Coroner’s procedures you can contact the Coroner’s office which is open Monday to Friday between 9.00am and 4.15pm and is located at: Liverpool and Wirral Coroner Gerard Majella Courthouse Boundary Street Liverpool L5 2QD Tel: 0151 233 5770
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Visiting your relative/friend in our Lily Suite • If your relative or friend has been ill for a while, you may have expected the death and been able to be with them when they died. • The death may have been unexpected, or you were unable to get to the hospital in time. • Within a short time of death, the person will be taken from the ward to the Lily Suite. • Should a member of the family or friend wish to see your relative/ friend there, you will need to liaise with the Bereavement Service team who can arrange this for you. • Normally, the funeral director will take your relative/friend to their Chapel of Rest usually within a couple of days of the death where they can also be visited.
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Arranging the funeral and choosing a funeral director • You do not have to wait until you have registered the death before contacting a funeral director. • Funeral directors are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and the earlier the funeral director becomes involved, the sooner they will be able to act on your behalf to find out when the necessary documents allowing the funeral to proceed will be issued. • If the death has been referred to the Coroner his office will advise you what to do. Your funeral director will liaise with the Coroner for you. • If there is to be a hospital post-mortem examination the date when the funeral can be held may be affected. • If your relative/friend has made a will this may give information about their funeral arrangements. • Funeral director’s addresses and telephone numbers can be obtained from your local telephone directory, Yellow Pages or Thompson’s Local Directory, and it is advisable to contact a funeral director who is a member of recognised trade association. Rights and options The main requirements in England and Wales are that the death is certified by a doctor or Coroner, registered with a Registrar of Births, Marriages and Deaths, and the body either buried or cremated. • You do not have to have a funeral ceremony. • You do not have to use a religious minister. • You do not have to use a funeral director. • A ceremony does not have to take place in a crematorium or place of worship.
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There are more options concerning the content of a funeral ceremony and its duration than many people realise. • Woodland burial and other green options are increasingly available. • The majority of people choose to make their arrangements through a funeral director, but some people see ‘do-it-yourself’ funerals as more personal and less expensive. • If this approach appeals, and you have time to research and prepare, enquire at the cemeteries and crematorium department of your local authority for guidance. Choosing a funeral director Funeral directors will manage funeral arrangements and give advice and support. The following factors may influence your choice: • Location of the firm’s premises. • Range of services provided. • The way you are treated by the staff. • Cost. • Recommendation of those who have used the service. • Ownership (small family business or large firm). A simple funeral Most people would probably require the funeral director to provide the following services as a minimum: • Make all the necessary arrangements. • Provide appropriate staff. • Provide a suitable coffin. • Transfer your relative/friend from the place of death to the funeral director’s premises.
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• Care for your relative/friend prior to the funeral. • Provide a hearse to the nearest cemetery or crematorium. • Arrange for burial or cremation as appropriate. Embalming, viewing of the deceased, or providing cars for mourners are optional extras. Funeral costs • Costs for the same services may vary considerably from one funeral director to another. • You may wish to get more than one quote to compare costs. Disbursements’ are fees paid to others, e.g. for cremation, minister, doctors’ certificates, newspaper announcements, flowers, etc. Ask the funeral director for a written quotation detailing all these fees. • Funeral payments are normally recoverable from your relative/ friend’s estate. • Paying for the funeral. If you arrange the funeral, you are responsible for paying the bill. • If you are finding it difficult to pay for the funeral that you have to arrange, you may be entitled to receive a Social Fund Funeral or the Bereavement Support Payment. • Payment from the Department for Work and Pensions providing you or your partner receive one of the following: • Income support. • Housing benefit. • Council tax benefit. • Job seeker’s allowance (income based). • Disabled Persons’s tax credit. • Working family’s tax credit. Your local Citizens Advice Bureau can help with all legal and practical matters following a death. Telephone numbers are listed in local Yellow Pages. 14
Age Concern provides advice and information to anyone over the age of 60 about funeral arrangements and welfare benefits etc. There are also two booklets that might be of help to you (published by the Department for Work and Pensions): • Help with the costs of a funeral from the Social Fund (SF200). • What to do after a death in England & Wales (DWP Leaflet D49). These are available from the Register Office, Social Services and main Post Offices, and also online at: www.gov.uk/bereavement-support-payment. Notification of a death in a newspaper • You may wish to put an announcement about the death in the national or local newspapers, giving the date, time and place of the funeral and your wishes about flowers or contributions to charity or research. • The classified advertisement department of the newspaper will help you with the wording or you can leave this to your funeral director. For security reasons, you should not include your address.
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Wills If you have any queries about the will or regarding the absence of a will you can contact: Probate Registry Queen Elizabeth II Law Court Derby Square Liverpool L2 1XA Tel: 0151 236 8264 A useful booklet on how to obtain Probate (PA2) is available from the Probate Service.
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Who needs to be told about the death Apart from family, friends and neighbours there are other people who may need to know about your relative or friend’s death. These are: Done The Priest, Vicar or Minister of other Faiths Family Doctor, Hospitals, Dentist, Optician The Benefits Agency (pensions, benefits) The Bank, Giro, Credit Cards, Building Society Social Services (home helps, home care) Schools, College or University attended Previous places of work/place of work (occupational pension) Executors of the Estate (Will) Solicitor Insurance Companies Library service Inland Revenue Residential or Nursing Home Landlord, Housing Department Council Tax Offices Electricity, Gas, Telephone, Water Companies Post Office (redirect mail) D.V.L.A. Swansea Careline Cancel any appointments Stopping Junk Mail (stopmail.co.uk) • Should your relative/friend have been living alone you may need to ensure that their home is secure and remove all signs that indicate no-one is there. • You may also need to arrange for any pets to be cared for, collect spare keys from other relatives, friends and neighbours and check the terms and conditions of any insurance/rental agreements covering the property. 17
Spiritual and Pastoral support Hospital Chaplains are available to help you if you feel that would be of benefit. The Ward or Main Reception can contact the Chaplain on duty for you and he or she will come as soon as possible. The Hospital Chapel is a quiet space that many find helpful in times of need. It is always open and located next to Ward 10 on the first floor. There is also a Prayer Room for anyone of any faith situated next to Haematology Day Ward on the ground floor.
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Grief Grief can be a very individual and personal process so do not think that you should experience feelings exactly as described by anyone else. You may feel numb, experience feelings of shock and disbelief when a death occurs. Unable to accept that your loved one has died. This is a normal reaction that initially cushions you against loss. You may experience anger – anger at yourself for the things you said or meant to say, but did not get the opportunity to. You may also direct blame at others and even with the person who has died. Feelings of guilt are never far away – initial guilt for the things you think you should have done and even blaming oneself for the loved one’s death. You may lose concentration, things may seem to go wrong, you may lose confidence in yourself and find yourself in a state of panic. It is not uncommon to experience feelings of depression. Feeling tired, but unable to sleep, feeling hungry, but unable to eat. Whilst this can be a normal part of the grieving process, you must not be afraid to seek advice from your General Practitioner. This is a difficult time for family and friends, who may avoid you because they may be afraid to upset you if they speak about your loved one. You may need to let them know that you would appreciate their friendship and support. The death of a loved one can be traumatic and painful.
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Sometimes a little extra help may be needed for you to come to terms with your loss. An opportunity to talk to someone individually outside the family about your feelings and worries may be useful. Help is available from: • Your own General Practitioner • Support Groups • Books from Local Library However if you have any questions in which we have not covered here please do not hesitate to contact the Bereavement Services Office for further help and information. The Bereavement Service also offer a “Bereavement Support Conversation”. This enables people who are grieving space and time to speak with a Cruse trained member of the Bereavement Services staff. Appointments can be made via Bereavement Services on 0151 604 7346
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Support Groups Age UK Tavis House 1-6 Tavistock Square London WC1H 9NA Telephone: 020 7278 1114 Helpline: 0800 1696565 Macmillan Cancer Information & Support Centre Within Arrowe Park Hospital Telephone: 0151 552 1860 Email: wih-tr.macmillansupport@nhs.net SANDS Sands Helpline: 0808 164 3332 Email: helpline@sands.org.uk Samaritans Tel: 116 123 (freephone) Healthwatch Wirral Pacific Road Business Hub, Unit G3, Pacific Road, Birkenhead, CH41 1LJ Telephone: 0151 230 8957 Email: info@healthwatchwirral.co.uk Wirral Cruse Bereavement Care Royal Standard House 334 New Chester Road Birkenhead CH42 1LE Telephone: 0151 645 6604 Email: wirral@cruse.org.uk
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Other Support Groups Age UK Wirral A wide range of services are available for the over 50s. Also runs ‘Home from Hospital’ service. Telephone: 0151 482 3456 www.ageuk.org.uk/wirral Alder Centre Support for anybody who has lost a child. Alder Hey Children’s Hospital Eaton Road Liverpool L12 2AP Telephone: 0151 252 5391 Carers UK Advice and support for carers, including in bereavement. Telephone: Advice Line 0808 808 7777 www.carersuk.org Central Advice & Duty Team Social Services helpline Telephone: 0151 514 2222 option 3 Cheshire & Wirral Partnership Community Mental Health teams about drug services, eating disorders, memory assessment/dementia services. Telephone: 0300 303 3157 www.cwp.nhs.uk
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Citizens Advice Bureau Wirral FREE independent advice on rights and responsibilities, including financial and benefits advice. Telephone: 0300 3300 111 www.wirralcab.org.uk Clatterbridge Cancer Centre Telephone: 0151 334 1155 www.clatterbridgecc.nhs.uk Compass Counselling on Merseyside Pastoral and Supporting Service Providing counselling support pre and post bereavement for 18 and over. Counselling appointments in Birkenhead, Friday 9.00am – 5.00pm. Appointments only by phone. 151 Dale Street Liverpool L2 2AH Telephone: 0151 237 3993 www.compass-counselling.org.uk Cruse Bereavement Care for children and young people Website support designed by young people for young people. Telephone: 0808 808 1677 www.hopeagain.org.uk Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) If patients need to query information regarding benefits on going into hospital. www.gov.uk
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Fibromyalgia Support Group Telephone: 0151 348 1098 Helplink Community support – can help with transport and other needs for elderly patients. Telephone: 0151 648 3322 www.helplink.org.uk Lonsdale Trust Wallasey A day care organisation for older people and carers. Telephone: 0151 630 2076 Medicash For claim forms and cash plans for help with health costs. Telephone: 0800 011 2222 www.medicash.org North West Ambulance Service (NWAS) Information and advice re patient transport and PALS for transport concerns/complaints. Telephone: 0345 112 0999 or 0151 260 8628 www.nwas.nhs.uk POPIN Older People’s Independence Network for the over 65s. Telephone: 0151 514 2600 www.wirral.gov.uk Riprap This site for 12 to 16 years olds with parent with cancer. www.riprap.org.uk 24
Widowed and Young Helps the under 50s who have lost a partner. www.widowedandyoung.org.uk Winston’s Wish Provides emotional support and a range of services for bereaved children, young people and their families. 3rd Floor Cheltenham House Clarence Street Cheltenham GL50 3JR Telephone: 01242 515157 Helpline: 08088 020 021 www.winstonswish.org Wired Supports people with disabilities and carers to live independent lives – they offer a range of services and runs PALS for GP concerns. Telephone: 0151 522 7990 www.wired.me.uk Wirral Community Trust Independent Living Centre, Hind Street Birkenhead A provision for advice and information and equipment such as wheelchairs. Telephone: 0151 514 2888 www.wirralct.nhs.uk Wirral Pathfinders Charity providing self-help support groups for people with mental health difficulties. Telephone: 0151 334 2111 www.wirralpathfinders.org.uk
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Useful Addresses ...................................................................................................................................................................................... The...................................................................................................................................................................................... following addresses may be useful to persons taking responsibility for funeral and other arrangements: ......................................................................................................................................................................................
The Probate Office ...................................................................................................................................................................................... ...................................................................................................................................................................................... Queen Elizabeth II Law Courts 2nd...................................................................................................................................................................................... Floor East Wing ...................................................................................................................................................................................... Derby Square Liverpool ...................................................................................................................................................................................... L2 1XA ......................................................................................................................................................................................
Telephone Number: 0151 236 8264
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Local Job Centre Plus Office ...................................................................................................................................................................................... ...................................................................................................................................................................................... Bereavement Interviews can be arranged through your local Job...................................................................................................................................................................................... Centre Plus office who will offer help with pensions, closing accounts, counsellors and possibly financial help towards funeral ...................................................................................................................................................................................... costs. ......................................................................................................................................................................................
We wish to thank the advertisers and sponsors, without whom this publication would not have been possible. However the hospital does not endorse any of the products or services they provide.
Ref: Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust Bereavement Book Review Date: March 2022 Publication Date: March 2020
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