It is important to provide support to those who are recently bereaved in a sensitive and empathic manner. These pages provide practical advice and guidance on who can help and where further information can be obtained. Access the tabs for guidance on the following topics:
The Bereavement Office team consists of bereavement officers and bereavement/mortuary assistants. The bereavement staff will provide information and support regarding visiting the deceased (if desired), the necessary administrative responsibilities and general advice regarding funeral arrangements. The bereavement team do not provide counselling but can signpost people to support services.
- The Bereavement Office is open Monday-Friday 9am-4pm. Relatives should be advised not to attend the Bereavement Office without first telephoning. (Ward staff can contact the office from 8.30am).
- The office number for Aintree is 0151 529 2855
- The office number for Broadgreen is 0151 282 6264
- The office number for the Royal is 0151 706 3805
- Urgent out of hours advice is available seven days a week by contacting switchboard or the Bed Manager and asking for the on-call mortuary assistant.
- The Chaplaincy Department seeks to address the spiritual and religious needs of the hospital community
- The Chaplaincy Department incorporates all the major Christian denominations and is strongly associated with all major faith communities. The chaplaincy is available for those of all faiths and also for those who do not belong to a particular faith community but recognise their own spiritual journey.
- The work of the Chaplaincy Department aims to support both providers and users of health services. It offers a response - also in the content of a system of faith or belief - to the spiritual, religious and emotional needs which arise from changes in health and well-being.
For further information and guidance on care during the dying phase and care after death for all faiths please refer to the Chaplaincy:
- You can contact the Chaplaincy on Ext 3195. If an urgent visit is required outside of normal working hours staff should contact switchboard.
- Referrals can also made to the Chaplaincy on behalf of patients, by emailing chaplaincy
@aintree.nhs.uk - The well-being of staff is also important to us, if you need to talk to a member of the chaplaincy team please give them a call.
For advice on care during the dying process and care after death for specific cultures please see advice on the intranet Chaplaincy page.
- It can be difficult for staff when a patient dies in the hospital and the focus shifts from caring for the patient to providing support to the newly bereaved loved ones of the patient
- Staff should refer to Last Offices/Care after death guidelines via the intranet
- These pages aim to give staff all the information required to support family and friends of the deceased person during the initial stages of their bereavement, and to provide accurate information when required enabling you to signpost to appropriate services
- The Trust produces a bereavement booklet containing all information required about the process for obtaining a Medical Certificate for Cause of Death (MCCD), how to register a death and arrange a funeral. This booklet is available on all wards and should be given to the named next of kin when the patient dies. Books are available from Bereavement Office.
- Please inform relatives of this process if they enquire (for deaths in Critical Care or the Emergency Department follow local procedures).
Staff can contact the bereavement suite on 0151 529 2855 for further information.
Care of the deceased patient
The physical care given to a patient after they have died was previously referred to as ‘last offices’ however this term has been replaced with ‘Care after death’ to describe the holistic care given after a patient has died
What does care after death include?
- Honouring the spiritual or cultural wishes of the deceased person
- Preparing the body for transfer to the mortuary
- Supporting those who are important to the deceased
- Ensuring the privacy and dignity of the deceased is maintained
- Ensuring the health and safety of everyone who comes into contact with the body is protected
- Returning the deceased persons possessions to their relatives.
Personal care performed after death
- Be sensitive as far as possible to the deceased persons specific cultural and religious beliefs (see trust chaplaincy pages)
- PPE should be worn in accordance with Trust policy
- Wash the patient using standard infection control precautions
- Place the patient on their back with limbs and fingers flat and head supported by a pillow
- Administer mouth care and replace any dentures. If this is not possible then store dentures safely in a labelled pot
- Tidy the patients hair but avoid shaving the patient as this may cause bruising
- If the family wish to take part in care after death and it is appropriate then support them to do so
- Ensure the patient is dressed in a shroud or a hospital gown. No patients should be sent to the mortuary naked. The patient should then be gently placed into a white body bag
- Make sure 2 ID bands are applied to the wrists
- Ensure that when any property belonging to the deceased is returned to the appropriate person (following Trust policies) this should be done respectfully, folding clothing and placing in a textile woven deceased patient property bag.
Special consideration for suspicious deaths
Where the death is being referred to the coroner due to the nature of the death being suspicious:
- Leave all Intravenous cannulae and lines in situ
- Leave catheters in situ with the bag and contents
- Do not wash the body or administer mouth-care in case it destroys evidence
- Continue to use universal infection prevention measures to protect people and the scene
- The deceased should not be touched by family or friends unless permission has been given by the Police
- Liaise with the Bereavement Suite staff for any further guidance
If the death is being referred to the Coroner (no suspicious circumstances)
- Leave Intravenous cannulae and lines in situ and catheters must be spigotted
- Infusions and medicines being administered prior to death via pumps can be taken down and disposed of as per Trust policy
- Sensitively inform the patients family/loved ones that after the coroners involvement invasive devices will be removed and they will be able to spend time with the deceased.
People with a learning disability and or autism often experience poorer physical and mental health compared to the general population and may face barriers/challenges to accessing appropriate healthcare.
Many people with a learning disability die earlier than expected, frequently from preventable or treatable causes.
When a patient with a learning disability and or autism die, their death undergoes a Structured Judicial Mortality Review (SJR). Additionally, the death is reported to the LeDeR programme (Learning from lives and deaths - people with a Learning Disability and Autistic people) which is endorsed by NHS England.
The LeDeR programme aims to Improve care for people with a learning disability and autistic people. Reduce health inequalities for people with a learning disability and autistic people. Prevent people with a learning disability and autistic people from early deaths. LeDeR reviews are not investigations, however, LUHFT has a duty to support this process. LeDeR focuses on reviewing the deaths of people with learning disabilities and autistic individuals to understand why they died and what changes can be made to improve care. The program seeks to identify and promote best practices in the care of people with learning disabilities and autism. LeDeR learning is integrated into trusts' clinical governance and quality improvement work.
The LeDeR program is a national service improvement initiative that aims to enhance the lives and care of people with learning disabilities and autism by leveraging the insights gained from reviewing their lives and deaths. This learning is then translated into action plans to improve services at all levels, with trusts playing a crucial role in implementing these changes and ensuring quality of care for this population.
Following death, the nurse or doctor caring for the patient should inform the Learning Disabilities Team on the date of death including the patient's NHS number via learningdisabilitiesteam
- When a person dies either on the way to or in the Accident and Emergency Department, a medical certificate usually cannot be issued from this hospital. Further information on the procedure for this is available in the Emergency Department ‘Help for you following a bereavement book’.
- Deaths in the ED may be referred to the Coroner due to these being unexpected, unknown or in unclear circumstances. Normal care after death procedures are acceptable unless the death is of a suspicious nature, then care after death procedures cannot be carried out. The police or bereavement office will provide guidance in these instances.
- In certain circumstances it might be appropriate to provide mementoes such as a handprint or lock of hair following the death of a patient in the Emergency department only if requested, and consent is provided by the deceased persons nominated next of kin. This can be a sensitive matter and staff should be aware of religious and cultural beliefs if providing this. Guidance on care of the dying and care after death for all major faiths is available on the chaplaincy website.
However:
If a person has died in suspicious circumstances and a police investigation is likely then the following procedure should be observed to preserve forensic evidence and minimise cross contamination:
- The deceased should not be washed or cleaned, unless express permission has been given by the senior police officer in charge of the investigation or by the coroner
- The deceased should not be touched by family or friends, unless express permission has been given as above. The police will often permit supervised touching by the family
- A Catholic priest should be permitted to anoint the forehead and administer the Sacrament of the Sick to a dying person, or the recently deceased. It would be rare for the police to refuse permission for this.
Clothing or property(including cash and valuables) of the deceased should be listed as per Trust policy for Clothing, Cash and Valuables, bagged and handed to the police if requested, and a signature of receipt obtained from the police.
For advice on Organ and Tissue Donation, staff should refer to the Trust Policy for the Donation of Solid Organs.
For further advice contact the Specialist Nurse for Organ Donation via the 24 hour referral line on 03000 20 30 40 or contact the specialist nurse for Organ Donation via switchboard.
Tissue Donation
Please complete the Tissue Referral form on PENS. This form will be automatically sent to the National Referral Centre (NRC). You are not required to approach the family for tissue donation. The Specialist Nurse’s at NRC will do this if the patient is suitable.
If you do feel like you would like to say something to the family, consider this approach:
“There is some information in the bereavement book about Tissue Donation, you may receive a phone call from a specialist nurse about this.”
This would be a suitable statement to include in your conversation about the bereavement booklet given to all families, this contains a leaflet about Tissue Donation.
Should a relative or friend wish to visit the deceased person they should be advised to liaise with the Bereavement Suite, between the hours of 9am and 4pm, Monday to Friday. Visits are by appointment only.
Normally the funeral director will take the deceased to their chapel of rest within a few days of the death where they can also be visited.
If a relative requests a memento such as handprint or lock of hair following the death of an inpatient, other than in the critical care unit they should be advised to speak to either the SWAN bereavement nurses or the bereavement office staff about this.
- The Bereavement Suite is open Monday-Friday, 9am-4pm. Relatives should be advised not to attend without first telephoning for an appointment
- The office number for Aintree is 0151 529 2855
- The office number for Broadgreen is 0151 282 6264
- The office number for the Royal is 0151 706 3805.
How to register the death:
- Once completed the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death (MCCD) is sent to the register office electronically and relatives are not required to attend the bereavement office to collect this
- Make an appointment at the Liverpool Register Office to register the death
- This must be done within 5 working days from when the certificate has been sent to the Register Office, unless it has been reported to the coroner
- Arrangements can be made to register a death elsewhere, but this may delay the funeral by a few days because the forms have to be posted to the office where you wish to register the death
- You can email: register
@liverpool.gov.uk
Please note a death cannot be registered without a MCCD or paperwork from H.M.Coroner (in the event that a post mortem has been performed).
The Register Office is open Monday to Friday between 9am to 4.45pm and is located at:
Liverpool Register Office
St George’s Hall,
St Georges Place (visitor entrance)
Liverpool
L1 1JJ
You can book an appointment online via www.liverpool.gov.uk. alternatively, you may call the Registrar Office at St Georges Hall on 0151 233 3004 (Monday-Friday 9am-4:45pm). For urgent our of hours advice contact Liverpool City Call Centre on the same number for instructions. There is a nominated Registrar available at limited times over the weekend.
Who can register the death:
- A relative of the person who has died
- Someone present at the death
- The person making the funeral arrangements.
What needs to be taken to register the death:
- The medical certificate of cause of death
- The deceased person’s medical card, if available
- The deceased person’s birth certificate, if available
- The deceased person’s marriage certificate, if appropriate and available.
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 provide:
A Certification of Burial or Cremation:
This certificate is green in colour and should be given to the funeral director as early as possible.
A Certificate of Registration of Death (Form DB8):
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 more than one copy of the death certificate to provide to companies such as insurance policies, pension agency, etc, Some companies will not accept photocopies. Certificates are available for a fee of £12.50 each.
- Tell Us Once - is an optional free service that lets you report a death to most government organisations and council departments in one go. When you register a death, the registrar will ask you if you want to use this service.
For advice regarding the process if a death is referred to the coroner, please refer to the Information regarding Coroner referrals section.
In some instances there is a legal requirement for the doctor to refer a death to the Coroner. This can sometimes result in a post-mortem examination.
Deaths are usually reported to the Coroner by the Police or the hospital doctor.
Guidance on reporting a death to the coroner is available within the SOP for Death Certification via the intranet Document Management System:
Death Certification Standard Operating Procedure
When is a death reported to the Coroner?
The death will be reported to the Coroner in the following circumstances:
- Poisoning, including by an otherwise benign substance
- Exposure to or contact with a toxic substance
- The use of a medicinal product, controlled drug or psychoactive substance
- Violence
- Trauma or injury
- Self-harm
- Neglect, including self-neglect
- The person undergoing a treatment or procedure of a medical or similar nature
- An injury or disease attributable to any employment held by the person during the person’s lifetime
- The cause being unknown
- The death occurring whilst the person was in custody or whilst being detained.
- the registered medical practitioner suspects that the person’s death was unnatural but does not fall within any of the circumstances listed above
- The registered doctor reasonably believes that there is no attending doctor required to sign a certificate of cause of death in relation to the deceased person
- The attending doctor is not available within a reasonable time of the person’s death to sign the certificate of cause of death
- The attending doctor, after taking reasonable steps to ascertain the identity of the deceased person, is unable to do so.
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 the nominated next of kin once this certificate has been issued and they may then make an appointment to register the death at the Register Office.
Everything will be done to ensure that this process is carried out quickly and observes religious and cultural traditions.
The coroner may decide that they do not need to investigate the death and they will ask the referring doctor to complete a cause of death certificate.
All H.M.Coroner referrals for Liverpool and Wirral must be submitted via an online portal. The new portal can be accessed using the link here, or via the quick links page on the Royal and Broadgreen intranet, or the useful web links icon on Aintree desktops.
Please contact the appropriate office to acquire a username and password for the portal:
- Aintree - Bereavement Office, 0151 529 2855
- Royal - Bereavement Office, 0151 706 3804
- Broadgreen - General Office, 0151 706 6266.
Emergency Departments and Critical Care units have been provided with their own usernames and passwords. If you encounter any problems with the portal, please use the relevant contact details provided above. Please note - this is an external system. The Trust's IT Department cannot help you with access or provide a username and password.
The coroner’s office is open Monday to Friday between 9.15am and 4.15pm and is located at:
H.M. Coroner for Liverpool and Wirral
Gerard Majella Courthouse
Boundary Street
Liverpool
L5 2QD
Tel: 0151 225 5770
Post-mortem examinations are carried out at the Royal Liverpool University Hospital. Patients who require a post-mortem will be transferred there for the examination.
Coroner’s post-mortem
The coroner may order a post-mortem examination to be performed when the cause of death is uncertain and needs to be determined. The decision is at the discretion of the coroner. Consent from the relatives is not needed.
Organs and tissue cannot be taken from the body for any purpose except to establish the cause of death and they cannot be retained longer than necessary to establish that purpose. This will be discussed with the NOK by a Coroner’s Officer.
After the post-mortem the coroner will issue the paperwork so that a death can be registered.
Hospital post-mortem
Occasionally the doctor treating the deceased may seek consent for a post-mortem examination to be carried out in order to gain a full understanding of the deceased’s illness or the cause of death in order to improve their understanding of the disease.
It may also be carried out to obtain “tissue” or any part from the body for the purpose of future medical education or research, which will help to contribute to better care of other patients in the future. This kind of post-mortem examination is not legally required and is only carried out with fully informed consent from a person in a qualifying relationship.
Where a hospital post-mortem is carried out, the medical certificate of cause of death will still be issued by the hospital before the examination.
Medical Examiners (ME) have been introduced to acute trusts in England and Wales to provide greater scrutiny of deaths. The role of the ME is to examine deaths to:
- agree the proposed cause of death and the overall accuracy of the medical certificate cause of death
- discuss the cause of death with the next of kin/informant and establish if they have any concerns with care that could have impacted/led to death
- act as a medical advice resource for the local coroner
- Inform the selection of cases for further review under local mortality arrangements and contributing to other clinical governance procedures.
Case record reviews are carried out in different circumstances.
Firstly, case note reviews are routinely carried out in NHS trusts on a proportion of all deaths in their care to learn, develop and improve healthcare, as well as when a problem in care may be suspected.
A clinician (usually a doctor), who was not directly involved in the patients care, will look carefully at their case records. They will look at each aspect of care and how well it was provided. When a routing review finds any issues with a patient’s care, we contact their family to discuss this further.
Secondly, case record reviews are also carried out when a significant concern is raised about the care provided to a patient. We consider a ‘significant concern’ to mean:
a) Any concerns raised by the family that cannot be answered at the time; or
b) Anything that is not answered to the family’s satisfaction or which does not reassure them.
This may happen when a death is sudden, unexpected, untoward or accidental. When a significant concern has been raised, we will undertake a case record review, and findings may be shared with relatives in these circumstances.
- Aside from case note reviews, there are specific processes and procedures that trusts need to follow if your loved one had a learning disability, is a child, died in a maternity setting or as a result of a mental health related homicide. If this is the case, we will provide you with the relevant details on these processes.
- If a relative has concerns about the treatment that their relative/ friend received prior to death they should first contact the ward manager, Patient Advice and Complaints Team (PACT) on Ext 3287.
Issuing during normal working hours
- Before a Medical Certificate of Cause of Death (MCCD) can be issued the death requires review and signature by a Medical Examiner. In the event of an out of hours weekend death whereby burial is required within 24-48 hours (usually for cultural reasons) the Medical Examiner will review on the next working day. Processes are in place for release of the MCCD in such circumstances to avoid delay. (see tab 'Issuing the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death - Out of Hours' for information)
- Please refer to local policy for general guidance on completing the MCCD.
- The doctor issuing the MCCD must have treated the patient in life and must contact the appropriate bereavement office (Monday-Friday 9am – 4.30pm) to arrange completion of the MCCD within 24 hours of the death, or at the earliest opportunity following a weekend or public holiday.
Issuing outside of normal working hours
Occasionally a family may require a Medical Certificate of Cause of Death (MCCD) outside normal working hours on religious grounds. These are usually for either Jewish or Muslim deaths where the deceased needs to be buried within 24-48 hours.
The Hospital Duty/Site Manager has access to the MCCD book for use when the Bereavement Office is closed. These are for use when religious/cultural reasons require a funeral to take place shortly after death; ward staff should contact the manager in such circumstances if the death occurs after 4.30 on Friday or over the weekend or public holiday.
The doctor issuing the MCCD must have seen the patient in life and the death must be reviewed by a Medical Examiner before the certificate can be sent to the Register Office. If there is no doctor on duty then the MCCD cannot be issued until a treating doctor is on duty.
Please ensure the MCCD is scanned (both sides with all four corners showing) and emailed at the earliest opportunity to me.
If the patient meets the criteria for coroner's referral, the death must be reported to the coroner (via their pager 07623 977846) by a doctor and the coroner should be informed that the patient was Jewish, Muslim or other similar faith. In such circumstances, the MCCD cannot be issued without the coroner’s consent.
Whether in normal working hours or out of hours a MCCD must not be issued for registration purposes until the cause of death has been reviewed and signed by a Medical Examiner.
The deceased must not be released from the hospital outside of normal hours without the involvement of the on-call mortuary technician who will ensure that the correct paperwork/process is followed.
If the MCCD is issued then the Medical Examiners’ Officer will inform the relatives should contact the Liverpool Register Office on 0151 233 3004 and ask for the nominated registrar. For further details the nominated Registrar can be contacted on 07540 641 530.
Once the death is registered the Register Office will issue the green form (certificate for burial or cremation) electronically to funeral directors (or by hand to family). The mortuary technician can release the deceased for burial as soon as possible after the MCCD has been sent to the Register Office.
Jewish patients when there are no relatives to make the funeral arrangements contact Merseyside Jewish Community Care on 0151 733 2292 without delay.
Muslim patients where the deceased has no next of kin or representative the Trust shall be responsible for all the necessary funeral arrangements that are appropriate for the faith. The deceased will need to be brought to the Mosque for washing, prayer and then burial according to Islamic Shari’a rules and regulations. There are no specific rulings prohibiting organ donation / transplantation, however, strict Muslims will not agree.
Contact Liverpool Muslim Society on:
Al Rahma Masjid
29-31 Hatherley Street
Liverpool L8 2TJ
Tel: 0151 709 2560
Imam Office tel: 0151 709 3643
Tell Us Once is an optional free service that lets relatives report a death to most government organisations and council departments in one go.
When a person registers a death, the registrar should ask if they want to use the Tell Us Once service. If they do they will give you a unique reference number to access the service online or over the phone.
This means that they won't need to get in touch with individual organisations or send copies of death certificates to notify them of a death - Tell Us Once will do it all for them.
They can notify services such as the Department for Work and Pensions, HM Revenue and Customs and the Passport Office, as well as many council services:
For further information on the Tell Us Once service, click on the link below or contact your local council.
https://
If you are concerned about the wellbeing of the patient’s next of kin or close family member who has care needs please consider signposting them for further social support.
Liverpool City Council ‘Careline’ adult services manages all adult social care enquiries and referrals. You can contact them 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Telephone 0151 459 2606 to:
- Raise a concern about an adult at risk (if an adult is at immediate risk call 101 or 999 in an emergency)
- Request a needs assessment
- Get help with housing and homeless issues
- Enquire about casework, individual adult cases or other issues of a sensitive nature
- Get in touch with a social worker or specific social work team.
For further information visit: https://
If the person requiring assessment and support lives outside of the Liverpool area please contact Social Services at their local council for a needs assessment.
Further information on social care and support is available via the following link: https://
If you are concerned about a potential safeguarding issue please contact the safeguarding team for further guidance. Further information regarding safeguarding concerns are available on the Intranet under team services for Safeguarding. This includes guidance for Safeguarding Children.
There are several useful services available which can provide guidance and support following bereavement.
Age Concern – supports the elderly
Liverpool Tel: 0151 330 5678
Sefton Tel: 01704 542 993
http://www.ageconernliverpoolandsefton.org.uk
The Alder Centre – A national centre of excellence that provides bereavement and grief counselling with ‘care and education for anyone affected by the death of a child’.
Tel: 0151 252 5391 (9am-5pm Mon-Thurs, 9am-4.30pm on Friday)
Bereavement Register – A free service to remove the names and addresses of the deceased fro m advertising mailing lists
https:/
Citizens Advice Bureau – provides advice on legal and practical matters following a death
Tel: 03444 111 444
http://www.citizensadvice.org.uk
Compassionate Friends – offers support to parents, relatives, and professionals following the death of a child of any age from any cause
Tel: 0345 123 2304
Coroners Court Support Service – offers practical and emotional support for family and other witnesses attending the coroners court.
http://www.coronerscourtsupportservice.org.uk/
Cruse Bereavement Care – offers counselling, support and advice, including a range of leaflets, book list and newsletters.
Tel: 0808 808 1677 (Freephone)
Funeral Guide – Access the bereavement section for guidance on how to support someone with a Learning Disability through grief, also LGBT+ support and links to other helpful resources
https://www.funeralguide.co.uk
Grief Encounter – A support service for bereaved children and their families
Tel: 0808 802 0111 (Mon-Fri 9am-9pm)
https://www.griefencounter.org.uk
Hope again – The youth website of Cruse Bereavement Care who provide support for 12-18 year olds facing bereavement
Liverpool bereavement service – offers one to one counselling and/or group support free of charge; provides an exclusive service to bereaved people in Liverpool
Tel: 0151 236 3932
https://www.liverpoolbereavement.com
Mencap – offers support and guidance on dealing with a loss, including resources about how to explain about death to a person with a learning disability.
Tel: 0808 808 1111 (Free helpline)
https://
National Association of Funeral Directors – for information and guidance when choosing a funeral director
NHS Choices – Support with bereavement
https://
Roadpeace – offers practical and emotional support to injured people and bereaved families following a road traffic crashes
Tel: 0845 4500 355
Support after Murder and Manslaughter (SAMM) – a befriending service for people bereaved due to murder or manslaughter; supports the development of local self help groups and support.
Tel: 0845 872 3440 (calls charged at local rate) or 0121 472 2912
Survivors of Bereavement by Suicide (SOBS) – offers emotional and practical support through group meetings and bereavement packs
Tel: 0300 111 5065
Switchboard: LGBT+ - A helpline for LGBT+ that takes calls 10am-10pm on any issue, including bereavement and grief, 365 days a year
Helpline: 0300 330 0630
Terence Higgins Trust – provides practical support, counselling and advice for anyone who has lost someone due to AIDS
Tel: 0808 802 1221 (Free to call from UK landlines and most mobile networks)
The Good Funeral Guide – offers free impartial and unbiased advice to those arranging a funeral
https:/
The National Society of Allied and Independent Funeral Directors (SAIF) – Provide guidance and advice when planning and arranging a funeral
The Samaritans
Tel: 116 123
Widowed and Young - offers peer -to-peer emotional and practical support to young widowed people – married or not, with or without children, whatever their sexual orientation – as they adjust to life after the death of their partner.
http://widowedandyoung.org.uk/
Winston’s Wish – Supports bereaved children and their families
Tel: 08088 020 021
