ASDS News With its changed membership ASDS Council goes into a new year with a focus on developing the association in the context of familiar and fresh challenges facing Higher Newsletter Education. We have started the process of planning our next DDD conference which will Editor: Joan Lee e-mail mark the association’s 10th Anniversary in 2019 [email protected] and will keep members informed as the plans nd Edition 10 February 2 2018 progress. Contents: ASDS membership Editor’s comments– page 1 Thank you for bearing with us as we manage Practice and policy news – page 2 the transition to a shared timeframe for Call for papers – page 4 membership renewal. Conversations during Conference and event reports – page 4 this process have highlighted the value of Forthcoming conferences – page 6 clarifying membership benefits which are Books, journals, resources – page 8 summarised below:- Job opportunities – page 8 Four issues of Mortality (published by Taylor and Francis, RRP £112) Editor’s comments: Reduced fee for a print subscription for Death Studies ( Special issue rate of Welcome to the first newsletter for 2018 which £36.00) For details see ASDS website comes to you with the latest roundup of some Reduced rates to future DDD conferences of the practice and policy matters in the end of (for year of membership) life and death and with news of forthcoming events and activities that are being organised Access to membership network, via the ASDS website, including: by members and within the wider death studies community. Inclusion in the membership register Database of members' teaching and We bring details of an interesting opportunity research interests to contribute to a national film on death List of members' publications related rituals which we believe ASDS members are well placed to participate in Catalogue of thesis abstracts (see page 4). Networking facilities, including an online forum We also bring details of two emerging Quarterly ASDS Newsletter networks for those working in the death Please direct any queries about ASDS studies and end of life field – CDAS membership to Membership Secretary Dr Community of Practice and the Death and Erica Borgstrom [email protected] Culture Network being developed from York University (page 3). ****************** We hope you enjoy this edition and look forward to your news for the next edition due ASDS President Hilary Grainger was among out at the end of April with a copy deadline of those awardee an OBE for her for services to th April 13 Higher Education in this years’ honours list. Congratulations Hilary! 1 Dying matters week – ASDS involvement * Our Commitment to you for end of life care The Government Response to the Review of ASDS Council has been discussing Choice in End of Life Care” http://bit.ly/2adf3Rs participation in this years’ week of activity with For the full report go to http://bit.ly/2AjF95K the focus “what can you do”. ASDS Council members will be taking part in a variety of activities and events and we would like to hear NHS Mortuary errors about any events you may be taking part in. A study recently published by the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine (JRSM) reveals Please email our Administrator Joan Lee errors in identification and release of bodies [email protected] with details of from NHS Mortuaries in England. The study any events and activities you are planning to believed to be the first of its kind to examine attend or take part in. this type of serious incident analysed 132 We can also provide supplies of ASDS incidents reported in England to a national promotional leaflets if you would like any for NHS database between 1 April 2002 and 31 the events you will be attending. Please March 2013. The errors discovered included 25 contact our Secretary Helen Frisby post-mortems on the wrong body, and 31 [email protected] who will be pleased to incidents related to the disposal of bodies. The send you a supply. underlying causes of the errors were identified as “weaknesses in or failures to follow protocol and procedure, poor communication and Practice and policy news informal working practices.” For more info go to the JRSM website http://bit.ly/2FZounl Variation in end of life care For a copy of the paper contact: In its recent report “The final injustice – Rosalind Dewar, Media Office, Royal Society of variation in end of life care” Macmillan Cancer Medicine. [email protected] Support has highlighted the insufficient DL: +44 (0) 1580 764713 progress in translating the Government’s M: +44 (0) 7785 182732 commitment* to improving end of life care across England into tangible improvements for patients. The original commitment emphasised Changing methods of disposal of bodies - the need for equal access to end of life care Eco Cremation & Resomation regardless of geography, age, diagnosis, Plans to introduce an ecological form of background or means. cremation in Kent for those who do not wish to be buried or cremated using the current The report makes recommendations for the method have recently been halted due to local department of Health, NHS England, the opposition. The crematorium would have been Secretary of State for Health, Health Education the first in Britain to use `Promession’ a “freeze England, Leaders of sustainability and dry” method to dispose of bodies and was transformation partnerships, local expected to lead the development of an commissioners and providers to take action alternative approach which could help address aimed at improving practice in end of life care. the problem of lack of space facing many local Two examples of good practice are presented authorities. Promession was developed by in the report – Macmillan Specialist Care at Swedish biologist Susanne Wiigh-Mäsak at the Home and the North Manchester Macmillan turn of the century and has received interest Palliative Care Support Service, together with from over 60 countries. To read more about data relating to future demand for end of life Promession http://bit.ly/2nnJ5t8 care. Telegraph article http://bit.ly/2nhaSMe 2 Whilst in the west midlands resomation is areas of policy, practice and research related to being considered by the Rowley Regis Death, Dying and Bereavement in the South Crematorium in Sandwell, West Midlands. Also West of England. The aim is to facilitate and known as liquid cremation the process of foster a community of people and resomation reduces most of the body to a organisations that places the South West as liquid that has been described as resembling the UK’s hub of expertise and best practice in “weak coffee”. In an article published recently death, dying and bereavement. in the Independent an explanation of the Over two sessions attended by more than 30 process is given and Rosie Inman-Cook, people from across the dying and manager of the Natural Death Centre charity bereavement sectors we discussed issues offers a view on its role within future body within the South West and opportunities for disposal practice. To read the full article smarter working practices and innovation. As https://ind.pn/2nkseaw the Community develops we will keep our wider CDAS network abreast of developments. Hospice funeral service plans Watch this space... If you want to know more, A recent move by a Somerset based Hospice or to join our Community, please contact (St Margaret’s Hospice) to offer funeral [email protected] services has sparked debate within the funeral sector. The hospice views the development as Death and Culture Network (DaCNet) a natural extension of its services to support The Death and Culture Network (DaCNet) was patients and families facing life-long illnesses. formally established in 2017 by Ruth Penfold- In association with Memoria St Margaret’s Mounce, Julie Rugg, Ben Poore (University of plans to open several units across Somerset York) and Jack Denham (York St John which will offer this service. University). It is committed to promoting and producing an inter-disciplinary study of The national association of Funeral Directors mortality supported by evidence and framed (NAFD) has expressed concern that families by theoretical engagement. may be encouraged “or feel obligated to use the hospice’s funeral service rather than DaCNet runs a biennial conference of which checking the services, quality and prices of a the next – Death and Culture II – is to be held range of local funeral providers” To read more in York in September 2018. The conference about the NAFD view http://bit.ly/2DCym4H focuses on the impact of mortality on culture and the ways in which death shapes human In an article on December 8th the Guardian behaviour through action, production and reported that Fran Hall, the editor of the Good expression. The abstract submission deadline Funeral Guide, is writing to all 191 chairs of is 1st April 2018. hospices across the UK this week, warning them of potential “catastrophic” damage to The Emerald Series in Death and Culture is their reputations if they sign up. edited by DaCNet steering group members and seeks to publish books of a cross- For the full article use http://bit.ly/2k0hpsj disciplinary nature that are at the forefront of new ideas, subjects, theoretical applications and explorations of less conventional cultural CDAS Community of Practice engagement with death and the dead. 15th November 2017 marked the launch of the CDAS Community of Practice. This initiative DaCNet also has monthly meetings of the aims to bring together practitioners, Death and Culture Reading Group. Aiming to stakeholders, policymakers, academics, and meet monthly in York the reading group is other interested parties to build a community made up of early career researchers and of like-minded individuals to work on priority established academics often meeting in a local pub.