What to do following a death in hospital

Transcription

1 What to do following a death in hospital Information for relatives December 2017 Bereavement Services Page 1

2 Contents Bereavement services team What do I do next? Collecting the medical certificate of cause of death Registering the death Arranging the funeral What documents do I need Additional information Visiting the person who has died HM Coroner Taking a body out of England Organ, tissue and body donation Post mortems Wills, probate and inheritance Who do I need to tell Help and support How you might feel Help and support How children react Organisation that can help Notes Feedback Page 2

3 Bereavement Services team We would like to offer you and your family our deepest sympathies at this difficult time. We appreciate that this can be a very distressing time and we hope that we can provide you with a little help and comfort during this difficult period. With this booklet we aim to provide some practical help and advice during the early days of your bereavement. Our Bereavement Services team is on hand to support you with practical arrangements following your bereavement. We can provide advice over the telephone or in-person so please do contact us if there is anything you would like to talk through. The Bereavement Services team work across St James s University Hospital and the Leeds General Infirmary. For deaths at any other LTHT hospital site please contact St James s University Hospital. You can call us on: St James s University Hospital Leeds General Infirmary Our phone lines are open between 10am and 4.30pm Monday to Friday with an answerphone outside these times. Or alternatively us anytime leedsth-tr.bereavementteam@nhs.net Bereavement Services Bereavement Services St James s University Hospital Leeds General Infirmary Gledhow Wing, Level 4 Leeds LS9 7TF Page 3 Brotherton Wing, B Floor Leeds LS1 3EX

4 What do I do next? Collecting the medical certificate of cause of death On the next working day after the person has died, you should make initial contact with the Bereavement Services team at either St James s University Hospital or the Leeds General Infirmary depending on where your relative was being cared for when they died. If we don t answer we may be on a call or helping another family so please leave us a message and we will call you back. Our team will discuss with you what happens next and answer any questions you may have. In most cases a hospital doctor who has been treating a patient will issue a Medical Certificate of Cause of Death, you will need this in order to register the death at the Leeds Register Office (see page X). You will need a Medical Certificate of Cause of Death before you can register a death. We would advise you not to attend the hospital without first speaking to our team and having an appointment - this is to ensure that we will have all the documentation ready for you to collect on your arrival. We are aware of how important it is to begin making arrangements for a funeral following a death and we will endeavour to arrange the completion of the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death as soon as possible or explain to you the reason for any delay. Page 4

5 When you call our team we will ask you for some contact details so we can keep you updated about the status of the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death and we will also ask if the person who has died will be buried or cremated. This is so that we can ensure we have the correct paperwork completed for your funeral director. If you are unsure please do not worry - we can discuss this aspect later. At your appointment with us we will give you the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death and any belongings which we hold. Our staff will be pleased to answer any questions you may have about the registration process and direct you to other organisations that may be able to help and support you and your family. Appointments are usually arranged between 9am and 3.30pm and usually take around 15 minutes. Our staff will also advise the relevant GP surgery of the death and also cancel any forthcoming hospital appointments with Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust. Page 5

6 Registering the death Once you have collected the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death you will need to register the death with the city council registrars as soon as possible. All deaths should be registered within 5 days from when the person died (there are exceptions to this when there are delays beyond your control or the death has been referred to HM Coroner). You can make an appointment at any registry office in Leeds by calling Please note you will need the certificate number from the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death before you can make an appointment to register the death. We will give you this certificate number when we call you to advise that it has been completed. The main register office for Leeds is located at 2 Great George Street, Leeds, LS2 8BA. On certain days you can also register a death at one of the following Leeds City Council One Stop Centres : Armley, Chapeltown, Dewsbury Road, Garforth, Harehills, Middleton, Moor Allerton, Morley, Pudsey, Rothwell, Wetherby and Yeadon. Page 6

7 You can register a death at St James s University Hospital on certain days; we will let you know about what days you can do this and what times are available when we call you to let you know that the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death is ready for collection. If your relatives death has been referred to HM Coroner and it has been decided that a post-mortem and/or an inquest will take place then the Coroner s office will advise you regarding registration. Who can register a death? The law allows only certain people to register a death - please make sure that you meet one of the below criteria before making an appointment as you may not be able to proceed with registration. If you do not fall into any of the categories below then please contact our team to discuss further: A relative of the person who has died A person present at the time of death A member of staff from the hospital The person making arrangements with the funeral director Page 7

8 What information will I need when registering a death? The registrar will need to know the following information to be able to register the death, you may find it useful to write it in here and take this booklet with you: The date and place of death.. The date and place of birth Full name of the deceased (inc maiden)..... Their occupation.. Their usual address. Name, date of birth and occupation of married or civil partner... Details of any public sector pension. You will need to bring a form of identification for you and the person whose death you are registering. Acceptable forms of identification include passports, driving licences, birth/marriage/civil partnership certificates - if you do not have any of these please contact the Leeds Register Office on for further advice. Page 8

9 What will I get after I have registered a death? After registration the registrar will provide you with the following: a copy of the death certificate if you require one ( 4 per copy) - you may want to consider purchasing few copies if you are administering the affairs for the person who has died. a Certificate for burial or cremation (commonly known as a green form ) which you will need to give to your funeral director - this form is free. a BD8 certificate you need to send to the Department of Work and Pensions (this form is free). Page 9

10 What documents do I need Medical Certificate of Cause of Death This will be issued in most cases and is required before you can register a death. This is obtained from the hospital doctors. You should take this to the register office with you. There is no cost for this document. Death Certificate (copy) This document is issued when a death is registered. The original entry into the register of deaths is kept by the register office. You can request certified copies at the point you register - these will cost 4. Certificate for burial or cremation (aka green form ) This document is issued when a death is registered. You should hand this to your appointed funeral director as soon as possible. There is no cost for this document. Page 10

11 Arranging a funeral Most people choose to use the services of a funeral director to help arrange a funeral. There are many funeral directors to choose from ranging from large national organisations to smaller independent firms. Alternatively some relatives choose not to use a funeral director and make all the necessary arrangements themselves. If you are choosing to use a funeral director you should contact them at your earliest convenience to begin making arrangements. Please note that they may not be able to confirm arrangements until you have successfully registered the death with Leeds City Council. The person who arranges the funeral is usually responsible for meeting the costs. This can come from private finances, the estate of the person who has died or from a funeral payment plan they may have subscribed to. Funerals can be expensive and the final cost can vary considerably. Do not be afraid to mention your budget or obtain estimates from several funeral directors in order to compare costs. Financial help may be available in certain circumstances through the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) Funeral Payment scheme. You can contact the DWP Bereavement Services helpline on or visit for more information and to see if you are eligible. If you are not eligible but are still struggling to Page 11

12 meet the costs of a funeral then please call the Money Advice Service, whose advice is free and independent, on If the person who has died has no relatives or there are financial concerns about funeral arrangements, after you have contacted the DWP and Money Advice Service, please speak to a member of our Bereavement Services team who may be able to offer further advice. Page 12

13 Additional information? Chapel of Rest and visiting Once you have been informed that the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death is available and you are in a position to register the death you may decide to contact your funeral director being making arrangements. Your funeral director will liaise with the hospital in order to collect your loved on and take them into their care. Until this happens your loved one will be cared for in one of our facilities within Leeds or the local area. Arrangements to collect your loved one will be made between the hospital and your appointed funeral director, you do not need to take any action. If you wish to you can visit your loved one at the hospital Chapel of Rest. Please call the relevant Chapel of Rest on the number below; alternatively we recommend you contact your funeral director who will be pleased to offer this service at the funeral home. St James s University Hospital (Visiting times between 10am and 3pm Monday to Friday) Leeds General Infirmary (Visiting times between 10am and 3pm Monday to Friday) Page 13

14 Her Majesty s Coroner Sometimes doctors at the hospital will need to refer a death to Her Majesty s Coroner (the Coroner). A coroner is an independent judicial office holder with legal powers working on behalf of the Crown. The coroners role is to inquire into deaths reported to them that may be un-natural for any reason or if the death was unexpected or of an unknown cause. The coroner, or their appointed officer, will gather information about the person who has died and the circumstances of their death and make a decision as to whether a doctor can issue a Medical Certificate of Cause of Death or if more investigation is required. We will tell you if your relatives death has been reported to the coroner and the reasons why. We will be unable to issue any medical certificate until the coroner has made a decision about whether the death requires more investigation or not. If your relatives death is reported to the coroner you will receive contact from one of the coroners officers who will explain what their role is and what will happen next. In some cases the coroner may decide a post mortem is required to help establish a cause of death. On occasions the coroner may decide to transfer a deceased patient from the hospital to another location, the coroner s office should advise you before this takes place. Page 14

15 You can contact the coroner for the Leeds area using the details below. Her Majesty s Coroner for the county of West Yorkshire (Eastern District) 71 Northgate Wakefield WF1 3BS Telephone: hmcoroner@wakefield.gov.uk Page 15

16 Taking a body out of England There are certain procedures that need to be followed if you wish to take a persons body out of England. You should notify your funeral director of this as soon as possible so that they can begin making arrangements. You will need to do the following: Register the death at the local Register office; Obtain an out of England certificate from HM Coroner (your funeral director should help arrange this for you); Obtain a Free from infection certificate is required from Public Health England (please note this is only required for certain countries - your funeral director should help arrange this for you). Page 16

17 Organ, tissue and body donation Organ donation has to be considered before a death occurs and is only possible in certain circumstances. Unfortunately it is not possible to arrange organ donation after death. Tissue donation is possible up to 48 hours after death, if this is something you wish to consider then please inform the ward staff or contact the on call Tissue Donor Co-ordinator on as soon as possible. The consent of the next of kin is always required for tissue donation. More information about organ and tissue donation can be found at or by calling Body donation has to be considered before a death occurs and is only possible in certain circumstances. Donating your body to medical science is not possible in all circumstances and potential donors should ensure that they have alternative funeral arrangements in place. The University of Leeds is the nearest centre for donations and covers the Leeds, Bradford, Huddersfield, Harrogate, Halifax and Wakefield areas. For more information please contact the Medical School at the University of Leeds on If the person who has died already has arrangements in place to donate their body to medical science please inform a member our team when you call us. Page 17

18 Post mortem examinations Post mortem examinations fall into two main categories: HM Coroner post mortem - this post mortem will have been ordered by the Coroner as part of their investigations, often this is when it is unclear why a person has died. The views of the hospital and relatives of the person who has died will be taken into account by the Coroner in deciding whether or not to undertake a post mortem examination but the final decision lies with the Coroner. There is no cost to relatives for this type of post mortem. In certain circumstances there is the opportunity to have a noninvasive post mortem which makes use of a digital scanner. You should discuss this with the Coroner s office if you would like to explore this option further. There may be a cost to relatives for this type of post mortem. Hospital post mortem - occasionally doctors from the hospital may approach relatives with a request to carry out a post mortem. In these circumstances doctors will already have certified a cause of death but may have further clinical questions they would like to investigate. You will have the opportunity to discuss this with the medical team if you are approached and the post mortem will only be conducted once relevant consent has been given. Page 18

19 A hospital post mortem can be useful to: Identify other reasons a person has died other than is recorded on the death certificate Confirm the nature of the illness and/or the extent of the disease Assess the effects of treatments and drugs, and identify any complications or side effects Assist families to answer any outstanding questions A hospital post mortem does not usually delay funeral arrangements. There is no cost to relatives for this type of post mortem. Page 19

20 Wills, probate and inheritance Probate is the legal authority to administer the estate of a person who has died. A Grant of Probate is an order of the Court giving one or more people the legal authority to administer the estate of the deceased in order to distribute it correctly to the beneficiaries. The people who have the right to apply for a Grant of Probate are the Personal Representatives (PRs) of the estate. PRs are either the Executors named in the Will or the next of kin following the Rules of Intestacy if there is no Will. There are different types of Grant depending on the circumstances and who is to deal with the estate. The two main types of Grant of Representation are: The Grant of Probate, where there is a Will Letters of Administration, in situation where there is no will When someone dies, you ll need to get the legal right to deal with their property, money and possessions, this is often referred to as their estate. You may need to apply for a grant of representation - known as probate. You can apply yourself or use a solicitor to do this on your behalf. For more information we recommend that you visit or contact the HM Revenue and Customs probate helpline on Page 20

21 The Leeds District Probate Registry is located at York House, 31 York Place, Leeds, LS1 2BA and can be contacted on or via Page 21

22 Who do I need to tell You will probably want to let family, friends and neighbours know of the death right away. There are several other people who may also need to know. Priest, vicar, minister or faith leader GP (although our team will automatically do this) Department of Work and Pensions (you will be given a form to do this when you register the death) Bank, Building Society, Credit Card companies Social services (including home help etc) Place of work (particularly regarding workplace pension) Executors and beneficiaries of a will Solicitor Insurance companies Library service Residential or nursing home Landlord or Housing Office Council tax office Utility companies Mobile phone provider Post office (for mail redirection) DVLA Social media outlets i.e. Facebook, Twitter etc Page 22

23 Digital legacy A digital legacy is the digital information that is available about someone following their death. Someone s digital legacy is often formed by information that they leave online. This may include any website or blog listings about the person, their social media profile, photos, videos, gaming profiles and interactions they have had online. The interactions people make online is sometimes called their digital footprint. Digital assets and digital legacy may be owned by the person who has died, their beneficiaries and the online services that they use. Each online service has its own privacy or end of life policy. It is important to understand the policies for the services used in order to know who owns and has access rights to a persons digital assets and digital legacy. You can find more information about how to manage a person s digital legacy and digital assets after they have died by contacting the Digital Legacy Associate at Page 23

24 Help and support How you might feel by Leeds Bereavement Forum The death of a loved one is one of life s most difficult experiences. People may struggle with many intense and frightening emotions, including guilt, anger and depression. Often, they may feel isolated and alone in their grief. Having someone to lean on can help them through the grieving process. People often describe shock soon after the death of a loved one. They may: Feel numb, panicky, very weepy or unable to cry at all Find it difficult to sleep Have physical symptoms such as heart palpitations Calmly go through the practical tasks surrounding the death, and worry that they may be seen as uncaring. This is just one of the signs of shock and it is most likely they will feel the impact of the death at a later point Find themselves completely unable to cope and need a lot of practical and emotional support from those around them at this point Page 24

25 Leeds Bereavement Forum is a local charity that directs individuals and professionals to support both locally and nationally offering help to bereaved people from all kinds of backgrounds. Visit for their online Bereavement Directory and for advice and information about bereavement. Website info@lbforum.org.uk Telephone Page 25

26 Chaplaincy and spiritual care You may find comfort at this difficult time by speaking to one of our Hospital Chaplains. The Chaplaincy team offer their support to everyone, whether of any particular faith or none. They are available at all times to give pastoral and spiritual support to relatives at any time after bereavement. They are skilled at listening and counselling. The faiths represented within the hospitals are Church of England, Roman Catholic, Free Church, Jewsish, Muslim and Humanist. Contact with minister or leaders of other faiths can be made through the Chaplaincy. The Chaplains can be contacted on the telephone numbers below St James s University, Wharfedale and Seacroft Hospitals Leeds General Infirmary and Chapel Allerton Hospital Outside normal working hours please ask the ward to page the oncall Chaplain. Page 26

27 Donations We are often humbled to receive donations from bereaved relatives who wish to make a contribution to a ward, department or for the benefit of other bereaved relatives. For more information about donations please speak to a member of the Bereavement Services team or visit Page 27

28 Other support organisations Cruse Bereavement Care Cruse Bereavement Care are a national charity offering bereavement support. They hold drop in sessions available to anyone regardless of the type of bereavement or where the person died. The sessions are held at the Robert Ogden Macmillan Centre at St James s University Hospital, Beckett Street, Leeds on the first and third Wednesday of each month between 4:30pm and 6:30pm - no appointment is needed. Tel Carers Leeds The Bereaved Carer Project at Carers Leeds provides support on a one-to-one and group basis for carers who have been bereaved Tal Charlies Angel Centre Charlies Angel Centre provides bereavement support for parents and families through telephone, online, group sessions and one-toone bereavement counselling. Tel Page 28

29 Elliot s Footprint Elliot s Footprint is a charity that helps families through child bereavement. They offer help and guidance whilst campaigning and fundraising for improved bereavement services. contact@elliotsfootprint.org Leeds Suicide Bereavement Service Leeds Suicide Bereavement Service is a postvention service in Leeds. They support people who have been bereaved by suicide and have a variety of different methods of support available. Tel Page 29

30 Comments, concerns and feedback It is hoped that the information contained within this booklet will be of assistance to you, but if there is any point you feel has not been covered or if you experience any difficulties then please do contact our Bereavement Services team on the telephone numbers at the front of this booklet. If you have any comments on the service you have experienced through your contact with the Bereavement Services team then please do call and ask to speak to the Bereavement Services Manager. If you would prefer to provide your feedback in writing then please write to Bereavement Services Manager St James s University Hospital Beckett Street Leeds, LS9 7TF or leedsth-tr.bereavementteam@nhs.net Alternatively the Patient Advice and Liaison Service can also help and support you. The staff will be happy to listen to your concerns and ask the appropriate member of the Trust staff to contact you to talk through and resolve your concerns as quickly as possible. PALS can also assist you in making a more formal complaint. PALS can be contacted by telephone on or by patientexperience.leedsth@nhs.net Page 30