A Guide for Bereaved Family and Friends

NHS Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust

Following a Bereavement A guide for bereaved family and friends

Introduction

The aim of this booklet is to provide you with some advice on the things you will need to do to deal with the administrative procedures involved with a death.

We have also put in some details of individuals and groups who may be able to help you at this difficult time.

May we extend our sincere condolences at this very difficult time.

We do understand that making arrangements for a funeral can be sad and a little confusing. We would like to do all we can to make things a little easier for you.

This booklet has been designed to give you all the information you need to make the necessary arrangements. Contents

Subject Page

First steps...... 1

Who can offer me spport...... 2

What must I do now...... 3

Funeral directors...... 4

Tissue donation after death...... 5

Financial help and advice...... 5

HM Coroners...... 6

Post mortem examinations and Inquests...... 6

Coroners process flow chart...... 7

When and where do I register the death...... 8-11

Tell us once...... 12-13

Organisations offering help and support...... 14-15

East Surrey Hospital Patient Advice and liaison Service (PALS)...... 16

Information guide in other languages and large print...... 17

The Surrey & Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust does not endorse any of the advertisements contained in this booklet.

They are there for information purposes only. 1 Who can offer me support?

General Practitioner / Family Doctor The GP/family doctor will be notified by the hospital in due course. You may wish to seek the help and support of your own GP.

Hospital Chaplain The hospital chaplain is available to offer support and to meet with you by arrangement. Please do not hesitate to ask for a chaplain. We can also arrange to contact members and leaders from different faith groups in the community. 01737 768511 ext. 6120.

Viewing appointments If you wish to view your loved one it’s advisable to make arrangements with your funeral director. However, viewing in the hospital mortuary can be booked by contacting the Bereavement Office. Appointments usually take place in the afternoon during weekdays and working hours. Viewing out of hours within the mortuary is not generally possible.

Remembrance Service East Surrey Hospital holds a non-religious service for those who have been bereaved. If you would like to attend please call 01737 231626 where you will hear information about the next service.

2 What must I do now?

Please telephone the Bereavement Office after 10:00am to provide the Bereavement Officer with your contact details to enable us to contact you over the next few days.

The direct line telephone number for the Bereavement Office is01737 231718.

The office is open Monday – Friday 10:00am to 4:00pm (except for public holidays). For telephone calls made outside office hours, please leave a message with a contact telephone number where we can reach you and we will return your call as soon as possible.

The office arranges for the completion of the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death. This is the certificate that you need to take to the Registrar to register the death. The medical certificate has to be completed by a doctor who attended the patient during their stay in hospital. The Bereavement Officer contacts the doctor and requests prompt completion of certificates to avoid unnecessary delays. However, hospital doctors are generally engaged on ward rounds and may not be available to attend to complete the necessary paperwork until later in the day. In some cases the doctor may have to notify the Coroner regarding the death. The Bereavement Officer will inform you if there is likely to be a delay. Please be advised that the Bereavement Officer may not know about potential problems when you contact the office. However, we will update you as soon as any potential delay becomes apparent.

Once the doctor has completed the medical certificate one of our hospital Medical Examiners will call you to discuss the cause of death and explain any medical terminology. They will also ask if you were satisfied with the care your loved one received before and during their stay in the hospital, and ask if you have any other questions or concerns you would like to raise.

The Medical Examiner is a consultant who would not have been involved in your loved one’s care so that they can have an independent discussion with you. Once you have spoken to the Medical Examiner the Bereavement Office will contact you to arrange collection of the medical certificate.

3 When the certificate is ready for you to collect you can either make an appointment to collect it from the Bereavement Office or you may prefer to collect it from the Main entrance. Collecting the certificate from the Main entrance saves you from having to find parking as you can simply pull up outside the Main entrance and collect the certificate from the receptionist. This also allows you to collect it anytime during the day and also over the weekend at your convenience. Further information will be given to you when you contact the Bereavement Office.

The Bereavement Officer will also seek to obtain information from you regarding funeral arrangements. We appreciate that you may not have had time to consider these at this time but it is useful for us to know as soon as possible. This ensures all necessary paperwork is completed and no delays are caused in releasing your loved one to your chosen funeral director.

To ensure you are not unnecessarily delayed, please do not attend the hospital until you have been informed the medical certificate has been completed. Please note that it is only possible to book an appointment with the Registrars once you have collected the certificate from the hospital.

The bereavement office is located on the ground floor near the East entrance. For enquiries, please ask at the information desk situated to the right as you enter the East entrance of the hospital.

Funeral directors

Funeral directors will be able to advise you regarding all arrangements, including viewing appointments, cremation and burial options, funerals out of area and abroad.

Please inform the funeral director if the Coroner is involved so that they can plan the funeral accordingly.

When should I contact a funeral director?

If you wish, you can start to make provisional arrangements before visiting the Registrar of Deaths. However, details can only be confirmed when you have given the “Green Form” (see page 9) to the funeral director. It is a matter of personal preference as to whether you contact the funeral director before or after registering the death.

4 Tissue donation after death

Every year the lives of many people are saved with the help of organs donated before death occurs. However, you may not realise that donated tissue, such as eyes (corneas), skin, bone and heart valves can also save or dramatically improve the quality of life for others. Many people can be considered as donors. Tissue can be donated up to 24 - 48 hours after death and this would not delay funeral arrangements.

People may have discussed donation with family or friends during their lifetime. They may have already 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.

If you would like more information to consider tissue donation, please speak to a member of staff who will contact the tissue donation specialist nurse on your behalf, or if out of hours the site coordinator. There is a national number available 24 hours a day for advice 0800 432 0559.

Financial Help and Advice

Funerals are expensive although basic costs tend to be similar. However, the final cost can vary considerably. Do not be afraid to mention your budget or obtain estimates from several undertakers.

Financial help may be available if you receive benefits or if the person who has died has no next of kin. Contact the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) before making any arrangements.

For more information please contact the DWP: 0800 731 0469 or visit their website: http:www.gov.uk/funeral-payments/how-to-claim

5 HM Coroners

The hospital doctor and their consultant may refer your loved one’s case to the Coroner before they are able to issue the MCCD. The two most common reasons for referring to the Coroner are: • unknown/uncertain cause of death • if they underwent a general anaesthetic during this admission.

Also, there are certain causes of death which must always be referred to the Coroner regardless of whether the death was expected or not.

When the Bereavement Officer is aware that the doctors are going to refer to the Coroner they will advise you accordingly because this will have implications for the next of kin.

You can contact the Coroner’s office by calling01483 404530 or by emailing them: [email protected]

Post mortem examinations and Inquests

The Coroner and their officers become involved in all unexpected, violent, sudden or unnatural deaths. The Coroner may decide that a post mortem is necessary to determine the precise cause of the person’s death. The consent of the next of kin would not be sought because the Coroner has a legal right to examine the deceased to ascertain the cause of death.

If the Coroner instructs the hospital to issue the MCCD you will still need to register the death with a Registrar. However, if the Coroner decides that a post mortem or inquest is required, they will contact the next of kin directly to advise when and how to register the death and they will issue the necessary paperwork. More information can be obtained from the Home Office guide “The work of the Coroner”.

Sometimes a request is made by the relatives or to the relatives by the hospital to allow a consented post mortem examination. This is because the doctors may wish to know more about the extent of the disease or to enhance medical knowledge in treating similar cases in the future. In such a case the written permission of the next of kin is needed.

6 7 When and where do I register the death?

You are advised to register the death within five working days in the county of Surrey. However, there is no time restriction when the Coroner is involved and if it is not convenient for you to register in Surrey the Bereavement Officer will advise you on the procedure for Registering by Declaration (out of area).

The Registrar can advise you about who is qualified to register the death and will need the following details about the deceased person:

• Medical Certificate of Cause of Death issued by the hospital (see page 4 referring to the Bereavement Office).

• birth certificate of the deceased, if possible. If this is unavailable you will be expected to state the full name, surname (and maiden surname if the deceased was a woman who had married) and the date and place of birth.

• occupation (and if applicable the name and occupation of the deceased’s spouse or civil partner).

• usual address (utility bill).

• date of birth of a surviving spouse or civil partner.

• confirmation as to whether or not the deceased person was receiving a pension or allowance from public funds.

• in the case of a child, the father’s full name, date of birth and occupation.

The Registrar will still be able to register the death without all of the documents listed above but please take everything that you do have in order to facilitate the Registrar.

8 What shall I obtain from the Registrar?

The Death Certificate (officially known as a Certified Copy of the Entry in the Register of Deaths). You may wish to obtain extra copies of the Death Certificate from the Registrar for banks, insurance companies etc. A charge is made for each certificate.

The Registrar will issue you with a green form which authorises the burial or cremation and which should be passed to the funeral director. Another form may be issued when the Coroner is involved.

If necessary a certificate for the Department for Work & Pensions will also be issued.

The nearest Register Office for this area is in Reigate. However, there are also offices in Farnham, Guildford, Leatherhead and Weybridge.

You will be able to book an appointment to visit a register office via www.surreycc.gov.uk/registration or by telephoning Surrey County Council on Tel No: 0300 200 1002.

How registration by declaration works

The Registrar will record the details in the form of a declaration and send it to the Registrar for the district where the death occurred. The Registrar who receives the declaration will enter the information in the death register.

Certificates of the death, which can usually be ordered and paid for at the time of making the declaration, as well as the document for the burial or cremation, will be posted by the Registrar for the district where the death took place (some districts are unable to accept cheques, in which case alternative methods of payment will be suggested).

If a declaration is made, it may take up to 10 days (depending on the postal service) for the document for burial or cremation to be issued. The family should discuss the arrangements with their funeral director and the Registrar so as to avoid any delay to the funeral.

9 Location of Reigate Register Office

D R Registrar of ROA S YORKE D A A217 L G U GARDENSYORKE Births and Deaths YORKE ROAD O D The Library RUSHWOR TH ROAD

H Bancroft House A R RUSHWORTH ROAD D W LONDON ROAD Bancroft Road I C A K 2 E 1

Reigate, Surrey R 7 O Y ROAD A LEDBUR D Reigate RH2 7RP A25 A25 College (Pedestrian access D A O to rear of library) R College N Reigate and O Castle Cottage D Banstead C UPPE N Grounds A R W S O S except TREET L Town Hall T No parking, LEFIEL D ROAD CHURCH STREET for one blue badge WEST ST holder A25

HI CHURCH STREET D GH A ST S R O EET T R A25 AY BELL STREET L S W AWRENCE T PILGRIM MEWS F

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DORAN DRIVE T A217 D D A25 R L D N Y ROUTER IN FROM E O O S RANELAGH RD F R DS D R N H IE A242 BROWNLOWA RD EAST SURREY E C R N LD H C L D RD E O U H R W S L C C BELL STREET D H A25 S HOSPITAL T THE S T B R T

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10 Directions to Leatherhead Town & Register Office

The Registrar or Births and Deaths The Mansion 70 Church St Leatherhead Surrey KT22 8DP

Parking is available on site

Key

Directions from East Surrey Hospital to

Leatherhead EAST SURREY HOSPITAL Register Office Three Arch Road leading to Canada Avenue and East Surrey Hospital

11 Tell Us Once

At your death registration appointment, the Registrar will register you with the Tell Us Once Service and give you a unique reference number.

Tell Us Once is a service which aims to ease the burden of you having to telephone and write to central and local government departments about the death of your relative or friend. You will need this unique number to enable you to later go online or make one telephone call to the Tell Us Once team who will, on your behalf, notify as many organisations that participate in the service as possible. This single contact should save you numerous calls and letters to each individual department. You can complete this process in your own home at your own convenience up to 28 days from the date of the registration.

The Tell Us Once service is a partnership project between Surrey County Council, Surrey’s District and Borough Councils and departments across government.

Who can be notified for me? The following organisations will be able to be informed of the death on your behalf:

Department for Work and Pensions • Pension, Disability and Carers Service • Jobcentre Plus • Overseas Health Team

Ministry of Defence, Service Personnel and Veterans Agency • War Pensions Scheme

HM Revenue and Customs • Child Benefit • Child Tax and Working Tax Credit • Personal Taxation

Identity and Passport Service • Passport cancellation

12 Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency • Driving Licence cancellation

Local Councils (if the deceased lived in the County of Surrey or in a participating council area): • Housing Benefit Office • Council Tax Payments and Benefits Office • Council Housing • Libraries • Blue Badge • Adult Social Care • Children’s Services • Collection of payments for Council Services, eg. assisted bin collection • Electoral services

13 Organisations offering help and support

There are a number of voluntary groups who can provide help, advice and counselling for relatives and friends. Although we are only able to give a national telephone number for some, they may be able to give you a local contact.

CRUSE Bereavement Helpline (office hours) 0808 808 1677 CRUSE (for widows, widowers and children) 01737 772 834 www.cruse.org.uk

Compassionate Friends (for bereaved parents) 0345 123 2304 www.tcf.org.uk

Winston’s Wish Family Line 0808 802 0021 (for bereaved children and their families) 9am - 5pm Monday - Friday www.winstonswish.org.uk

Roadpeace (Traffic collision victims) 0845 450 0355 www.roadpeace.org

Gingerbread (One parent families) 0808 802 0925

Foundation for the study of infant deaths 0808 802 6868 www.lullabytrust.org.uk

Child Death Helpline 0800 282 986

SANDS (Stillbirth and Neo-natal Death Society) Main Office 020 7436 7940 Helpline 020 7436 5881

Switchboard LGBT + Helpline 0300 330 0630

Terence Higgins Trust Helpline 0808 802 1221

14 The Samaritans National Helpline 116 123 www.samaritans.org Croydon 020 8681 6666 Horsham and Crawley 01403 276 276 Leatherhead 01372 375 555 Reigate 01737 248 444

Citizen’s Advice Bureau - Caterham and Warlingham 0344 411 1444 Crawley 0344 477 1171 Horley/Redhill 0344 411 1444 Oxted 01883 730 259

Age UK National Helpline 0800 169 2081 www.ageuk.org.uk Crawley 01293 544 144 Grinstead 01342 327 046 Horsham 01403 260 560

The Probate Helpline 0300 123 1072

15 East Surrey Hospital, Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS)

As a relative or carer, sometimes you may need someone to turn to. This is where the Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) can be of help. The PALS team provides confidential advice and support, can negotiate prompt solutions by liaising with staff and, where appropriate, relevant organisations on your behalf. They can also provide information about hospital services and other external support services, for example care agencies and national associations.

The PALS office is open weekdays, 9:30am to 4:30pm. You can access PALS: In person: visit their office near the main entrance at East Surrey Hospital Email: [email protected] Online: www.surreyandsussex.nhs.uk/pals Telephone: 01737 231 958

Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust East Surrey Hospital Canada Avenue Redhill RH1 5RH Tel: 01737 768511

Reference: East Surrey Hospital Bereavement Book Review Date: May 2021 Publication Date: May 2019

16 Information guide in other languages and large format

01737 231718

17 Notes

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...... © Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust (Facilities Department) Published by RNS Publications Tel: 01253 832400 R29