Thursday, December 01, 2005
Department of Health (UK). When a patient dies. Advice on developing bereavement services in the NHS . 2005
Department of Health (UK). When a patient dies. Advice on developing bereavement services in the NHS . 2005
This document could seem a misnomer to some people involved in bereavement service provision in the UK. It is not about setting up a bereavement service to provide support to people some time after a death. It is about caring for dying and bereaved people in the days leading up to a death and in the immediate aftermath. It is aimed at good practice in NHS trusts.
The first section of the report provides advice on developing these services, mainly in a hospital service. It highlights the need for staff training in communication skills in order to provide a sensitive service. It also stresses the need for relevant information and for the provision of appropriate facilities eg private rooms for breaking bad news. It emphasises the need for staff support. It considers that a post should be created in each Trust to coordinate this service across the whole range of staff who have to deal with deaths in a hospital, this to include coordinating activity with outside agencies eg primary care trusts and voluntary organisations.
The second section suggests some practical solutions in developing these services eg ideas on how to return a patient’s property with dignity and flexible opportunities to view the deceased in the time after death, both on the ward and in the mortuary.
The NICE guidelines are mentioned in the context of the different levels of bereavement support that could be needed after a death - http://www.nice.org.uk/page.aspx?o=110005. However, the report goes into little detail about helping bereaved people who may need further support.
The report is available at:
http://www.dh.gov.uk/PublicationsAndStatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidanceArticle/fs/en?CONTENT_ID=4122191&chk=qAmIhT
A report on the current state of this type of service is available at:
http://www.dh.gov.uk/PublicationsAndStatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidanceArticle/fs/en?CONTENT_ID=4115879&chk=t1MSbi
This document could seem a misnomer to some people involved in bereavement service provision in the UK. It is not about setting up a bereavement service to provide support to people some time after a death. It is about caring for dying and bereaved people in the days leading up to a death and in the immediate aftermath. It is aimed at good practice in NHS trusts.
The first section of the report provides advice on developing these services, mainly in a hospital service. It highlights the need for staff training in communication skills in order to provide a sensitive service. It also stresses the need for relevant information and for the provision of appropriate facilities eg private rooms for breaking bad news. It emphasises the need for staff support. It considers that a post should be created in each Trust to coordinate this service across the whole range of staff who have to deal with deaths in a hospital, this to include coordinating activity with outside agencies eg primary care trusts and voluntary organisations.
The second section suggests some practical solutions in developing these services eg ideas on how to return a patient’s property with dignity and flexible opportunities to view the deceased in the time after death, both on the ward and in the mortuary.
The NICE guidelines are mentioned in the context of the different levels of bereavement support that could be needed after a death - http://www.nice.org.uk/page.aspx?o=110005. However, the report goes into little detail about helping bereaved people who may need further support.
The report is available at:
http://www.dh.gov.uk/PublicationsAndStatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidanceArticle/fs/en?CONTENT_ID=4122191&chk=qAmIhT
A report on the current state of this type of service is available at:
http://www.dh.gov.uk/PublicationsAndStatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidanceArticle/fs/en?CONTENT_ID=4115879&chk=t1MSbi
