PAT/T 60 v.2 Care after Death and Bereavement Policy: Operational Policy for Staff to follow in the event of a Patient Death This procedural document supersedes: PAT/T 60 v.1 (amended) – Death of a Patient Did you print this document yourself? The Trust discourages the retention of hard copies of policies and can only guarantee that the policy on the Trust website is the most up-to-date version. If, for exceptional reasons, you need to print a policy off, it is only valid for 24 hours. Executive Sponsor(s): Moira Hardy – Directory of Nursing, Midwifery and Quality Author/reviewer: (this Mandy Dalton. Mortality Review Lead version) Date written/revised: June 2018 Approved by: Policy Approval and Compliance Group Date of approval: 5 July 2018 Date issued: 9 July 2018 Next review date: June 2021 Target audience: All staff involved following the death of a patient - Trust wide Page 1 of 38 PAT/T 60 v.2 Amendment Form Please record brief details of the changes made alongside the next version number. If the procedural document has been reviewed without change, this information will still need to be recorded although the version number will remain the same. Version Date Issued Brief Summary of Changes Author Version 2 9 July 2018 This policy has been re-formatted into new Mandy Dalton APD template. Changes made to viewing arrangements Notification of GP Completion of Medical Certificate of Cause of Death) (MCCD) Version 1 30 Oct 2015 Due to changes in the Standard Operating Mark Boocock (amended) Procedure for the reporting of deaths occurring at Bassetlaw District General hospital to Her Majesty’s Coroner for Nottinghamshire. Information/process is added as Appendix 3 (A) of this policy. Version 1 31 July 2013 This policy has been significantly changed Victoria Bagshaw (Supersedes and and now incorporates PAT/T 30 – Last Incorporates PAT/PA 32 – Offices Policy – please read in full. Operational Policy following Transferred from ‘Patient Administration’ the Death of a to ‘Treatments/Investigations’ section. Patient and Incorporates Title change. PAT/T 30 – Last Format and style updated in line with Offices Policy – Version 2) CORP/COMM 1. Page 2 of 38 PAT/T 60 v.2 Contents Page No. 1. INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................ 4 2. PURPOSE ........................................................................................................................................... 4 3. DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES ......................................................................................................... 4 3.1 Chief Executive ............................................................................................................................... 4 3.2 Associate Directors of Nursing, Head of Nursing/Midwifery, Clinical Site Managers, Matrons and Senior Clinicians. ................................................................................................................... 4 3.3 Registered Nurse/Midwife .......................................................................................................... 5 3.4 Doctor .......................................................................................................................................... 5 3.5 End of Life Coordinator ................................................................................................................ 5 3.6 Chaplain ....................................................................................................................................... 5 3.7 Bereavement Officer ................................................................................................................... 5 3.8 Mortuary Staff ............................................................................................................................. 5 3.9 Professionals Performing Last Offices ......................................................................................... 6 3.10 Healthcare Support Workers ....................................................................................................... 6 4. PROCEDURE ...................................................................................................................................... 6 4.1 Identification ................................................................................................................................ 6 4.2 Care after Death .......................................................................................................................... 7 4.3 Handling Medicines following the Death of a Patient ...............................................................10 4.4 Transfer of Deceased within the Trust ......................................................................................10 4.5 Viewing of the Deceased by Relatives and Friends ...................................................................10 4.6 Organ Donation/Transplantation ..............................................................................................13 4.7 Hospital Post–Mortem Examination .........................................................................................14 4.8 Contract Funerals.......................................................................................................................14 4.9 Release of Bodies .......................................................................................................................14 4.10 Medical Certificate of Cause of Death (MCCD) .........................................................................16 4.11 Referral to Her Majesty the Coroner .........................................................................................17 4.12 Notifying the Deceased’s GP .....................................................................................................17 5. TRAINING/SUPPORT .......................................................................................................................17 6. MONITORING COMPLIANCE WITH THE PROCEDURAL DOCUMENT ..............................................18 7. DEFINITIONS ...................................................................................................................................18 8. EQUALITY IMPACT ASSESSMENT ....................................................................................................19 9. ASSOCIATED TRUST PROCEDURAL DOCUMENTS ...........................................................................19 10. REFERENCES ....................................................................................................................................19 APPENDIX 1 – WHEN TO REFER TO HM CORONER ................................................................................20 APPENDIX 2 – CULTURAL/RELIGIOUS VARIATIONS ................................................................................24 APPENDIX 3 – BIOHAZARD GUIDANCE ON THE MANAGEMENT OF KNOWN OR SUSPECTED INFECTIONS WHICH NEED PRECAUTIONS AFTER DEATH ................................................27 APPENDIX 4 – LAST OFFICES PROCEDURES ............................................................................................29 APPENDIX 5 – COMPLETION OF MEDICAL CAUSE OF DEATH CERTIFICATE (MCCD) GUIDANCE ...........32 APPENDIX 6 – REPORTING DEATHS IN ACCIDENT AND EMERGENCY TO THE CORONERS OFFICE ........34 APPENDIX 7 – DEATH OF A PATIENT WITHOUT LEGAL NEXT-OF-KIN OR FINANCIAL MEANS TO PAY FOR THEIR FUNERAL ........................................................................................................35 APPENDIX 8 – FLOWCHART FOR VIEWINGS ...........................................................................................37 APPENDIX 9 – EQUALITY IMPACT ASSESSMENT - PART 1 INITIAL SCREENING ......................................38 Page 3 of 38 PAT/T 60 v.2 1. INTRODUCTION Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is committed to ensuring empathic and efficient support for the families and carers of the deceased to access appropriate information and care following bereavement and to ensure that provision is made for those people with special communication needs and cultural variance. This includes those people who do not speak English or who may have sensory impairment or loss where communication is affected. Interpretation services, where required, are available via Big Word on 0800 757 3053 or 0800 694 5093 (Interpretation and Translation Services Policy (PAT/PA 34). 2. PURPOSE This guidance has been developed to ensure that services provided by the Trust are equally accessible to all parties of the communities it serves and to advise Trust staff on how to access the services available. This policy covers care of patients or members of the public who die in hospital or who are brought in dead. This policy does not cover end of life care and death in the community. 3. DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES It is every member of staff’s responsibility that this policy is upheld. The Trust has the right to expect that the standards in this policy are adhered to and line managers will regularly monitor adherence. All staff who are involved in the death of a patient and the subsequent support of the bereaved have a duty to abide by the relevant policy and guidance documents for their areas, which include roles and responsibilities, these include: 3.1 Chief Executive The Chief Executive has overall responsibility for all policies and procedures within Trust.