Help for Bereaved Relatives and Friends

Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS

NHS Foundation Trust

Help for
Bereaved
Relatives
and Friends

Inside Front Cover

We would like to express our sympathy to
you following your recent bereavement.
This booklet is designed to be a practical
help to the bereaved.
It explains procedures such as registering
a death and arranging a funeral.
The information is not intended to replace
personal help and advice, but to offer
a simple guide to what has to be done.

Index

Introduction.......................................................................... 1
What to do first .................................................................... 2
Hospital map ....................................................................... 3
Parking ................................................................................ 4
Personal notes..................................................................... 5
The Bereavement Office...................................................... 6
Tissue donation ................................................................... 7
Visiting the deceased .......................................................... 8
Book of remembrance ......................................................... 8
The coroner ......................................................................... 9
Consented post mortem examinations ..............................11
Registering a death ........................................................... 12
Tell us once........................................................................ 13
Directions to register office ............................................... 14
Registering by declaration ................................................ 14
At the register office .......................................................... 16
The funeral ........................................................................ 17
Useful telephone numbers and addresses........................ 19
Book of remembrance ....................................................... 21

Introduction

Bereavement is something which all people experience at
some time in their lives, confusion and desolation may well
describe your feelings at the moment. The death of a loved
one is a terrible shock whether it has come after a long illness
or suddenly and unexpectedly.
Hospital chaplains are always available to provide comfort,
support and practical care for patients and their families of
all faiths or none. The Chaplains maintain close links with
other faith communities to ensure that all cultural and spiritual
needs are respected Priests, Rabbis and Ministers or faith
representatives of other religions are also available and staff
will be pleased to contact them on your behalf.
When someone dies at the Royal United Hospital the medical
staff will be available to answer any immediate questions.
As the next of kin or patient’s representative you will also be
referred to the Bereavement Office who will then guide you
through the processes involved in registering a death and
arranging a funeral.
Listed at the end of this booklet are the names and addresses
of several organisations which offer advice, counselling and
support. You may not feel able to contact them immediately
but may wish to do so at some time in the future.

1

What to do first

Telephone the Bereavement Office (01225 824015 / 824315)
as soon as possible. (If the death occurs on a Friday evening
or at the weekend, please call on the following Monday). Our
office hours are: -

Monday to Friday 8.00 a.m. to 4.00 p.m.
(Appointments 8.30 a.m. to 3.30 p.m.)
Sometimes there will be an answerphone, please do leave a
message and contact number.

Parking

A dedicated parking space is provided for visitors to the
Bereavement Office.

• You will need to complete and tear out the parking
permit featured on page 4 to place in your windscreen
whilst parked here.

Please see the map on page 3 for reference.

2

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BEREAVEMENT OFFICE
PARKING PERMIT

PERMISSION TO PARK FOR 1/2 HOUR ONLY

TO BE PERFORATED DATE: TIME:

• Please fill in the date and time of your appointment in
INK, then place on the dashboard.

Thank you.

4

Personal Notes TO BE PERFORATED

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5

Bereavement Office

The Bereavement Office provides a service for the newly
bereaved at the Royal United Hospital. In addition to issuing
the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death and advising on
the process of registering a death, this department is able to
provide information and resources for you. Each family is given
the opportunity to discuss any immediate problems they may
have.

When someone dies the ward staff will invite you to take home
any property that your relative had at their bedside.

Please be aware that the RUH NHS Trust does not accept
responsibility for any items of clothing or property that are
not handed in for safe keeping.

The ward will also arrange for the medical notes and any
personal belongings that have not been collected to be sent
to the Bereavement Office. Any valuable items handed in for
safe keeping will be returned to the next-of-kin or named
representative by the Bereavement Office at your appointment
with them.

The Bereavement Office will then verify with the medical
team who looked after the patient whether or not a Medical
Certificate of Cause of Death can be issued. If a certificate can
be issued, an appointment will be arranged with you to come
and collect the certificate, together with any belongings, from
the Bereavement Office.

Please note, there may be a delay in issuing the certificate
should the death need to be referred to the coroner or
the doctor responsible is not immediately available. For
this reason, we do ask that you make provisional funeral
arrangements only.

6

Tissue Donation

Tissue Donation gives many families the option of making a
difference to others. We would like to offer this choice to you:

•  After Death many people can be considered for tissue
donation (such as heart valves and corneas). Your
loved one may have carried a donor card, be on the
Organ Donor Register or may have discussed donation
with you during their lifetime.
• Eyes for corneal transplantation can be donated up
to 24 hours after death and heart valves up to 48 hours
after death. The deceased will be cared for with dignity
and respect and their appearance will be restored.
Tissue donation will not delay funeral plans.
•  Vital Organs (such as the heart or kidneys) can only
be donated in certain specific circumstances, on the
Intensive Care Unit or in the Emergency Department:
advice can be obtained from the hospital staff or by the
Donor Coordinators.

A specialist Tissue Donation Nurse may contact the family after
a patient dies to offer information about tissue donation. The
individual we contact would be the designated representative
on the patient’s records. The Tissue Donation Nurse will
explain the options available for tissue donation and answer
any questions. Please remember tissue donation is entirely
voluntary and dependant on the generosity of the patients and
their families.

If you would like further information, please contact:
The Bristol Tissue Coordination Service on: 07699704933

This is a 24 hour pager. Please leave your name and full
telephone number with the operator and someone will get back
to you promptly. Alternatively you may ask your doctor, nurse
or the bereavement office involved in the care of your relatives
to contact us on your behalf.

7

Visiting the deceased

If you would like to have a few quiet moments with your loved
one in the hospital Chapel of Rest this needs to be arranged
when you first telephone the Bereavement Office.

The hospital Chapel of Rest is situated next to the mortuary
and is available on weekday afternoons. It is regretted that
this service is not available at weekends.

Where possible, your visit to the chapel will be timed to
coincide with your appointment at the Bereavement Office to
collect the medical certificate and any property or valuables. A
member of the Bereavement Team will accompany you.

Alternatively you can visit your loved one at the funeral
director’s chapel of rest, please enquire about this when you
give your instructions for the funeral arrangements.

Book of Remembrance

A Book of Remembrance is kept in the hospital Chapel,
situated on 1st floor South. If you would like an entry made
remembering your loved one, please complete the form
provided in this booklet and send to

The Hospital Chaplaincy
Royal United Hospital
Combe Park
Bath BA1 3NG

Telephone: 01225 824039

There is no charge for the entry, however, you may wish
to make a donation to the RUH Remembrance Fund
(Registered Charity Number 74064)

8

The Coroner

The Coroner will be a qualified doctor or lawyer and is
appointed by the Crown. The Coroner will usually only be
involved if any of the following circumstances apply.

• Deaths that occur within 24 hours of admittance into
hospital
• All sudden deaths
• Deaths where the medical cause is unknown
• Deaths where the cause is unnatural for example as
the result of an accident
• Deaths from any sort of poisoning
• If the death occurred whilst the patient was undergoing
an operation, or shortly afterwards
• If the death is caused by an industrial disease
• Deaths where the patients are admitted unconscious
and if a diagnosis cannot be confirmed
• Deaths which occur as a result of a fall or injury
causing fractures in the elderly
• Deaths from alcohol or drug related illness

When a death is referred, it is up to the Coroner to decide
whether or not it should be further investigated. Consent from
the next-of-kin or representative is not required.

You will be asked to contact the Coroner’s Officer who will
need details from you and will also advise you when the
death can be registered. The documentation is sent directly
from the Coroner’s Office to the Register Office.

In a significant number of cases the coroner will authorise
the doctor who knows the deceased’s medical history well
to issue a Medical Certificate of Cause of Death (Part A).

9

Registering the death will be delayed until the Coroner’s
papers reach the Register Office. This normally takes
approximately two working days.
When an inquest is to be held the death cannot be registered
until after the conclusion of the inquest, but a certificate for
the funeral to take place will normally be issued to the funeral
director at the opening of the inquest. After the inquest has
been held the death will be registered and the next-of-kin
informed.
When the death has been reported to the Coroner, it is
important to advise your funeral director of this as soon as
possible.
The Coroner’s Office, The Coroner’s Court,
Old Weston Road, Flax Bourton, Bristol BS48 1UL
Tel: 01275 461920
You will be advised by the Bereavement Office if or when you
need to contact the Coroner’s Officer.

10

Consented Post Mortem Examinations

After the death of a patient a senior doctor responsible for
their care may seek the permission of the next-of-kin to carry
out a post mortem examination. A post mortem, also known
as an autopsy, is an important examination that aims to find
out more about a person’s illness. A consented post mortem
unlike one ordered by the Coroner, cannot take place without
agreement of the next-of-kin.
The process of gaining consent is very detailed and involves
asking a number of questions to ensure that the patient’s
wishes, and those of their next-of-kin, are ascertained and
respected. A copy of the consent form will be offered along
with an NHS booklet providing additional information about
the examination.
Please be assured that the post mortem examination will
be carried out sympathetically and will not normally delay
funeral arrangements. The result of this examination may
be obtained from either the patient’s Consultant or General
Practitioner.

11

Registering A Death

To register a death you usually need a Medical Certificate of
Cause of Death. This is normally completed by the hospital
doctor and given to you by the Bereavement Office. In some
circumstances the Registrar of Births, Marriages and Deaths
may need to report the death to the coroner.
All deaths occurring in the Royal United Hospital must
normally be registered within five working days. Appointments
to register a death can be made by telephoning Bath Registry
Office on 01225 477234. Your appointment can be made at
one of the following offices:-

The Registrar of Births, Death & Marriages,
The Guildhall, High Street, Bath BA1 5AW
The Hollies
High Street, Midsomer Norton BA3 2DT
One Stop Shop, Keynsham Civic Centre
Royal United Hospital Bath

12

Tell Us Once

‘Tell Us Once’ is a free service provided by Bath and
North East Somerset Register Office that offers help with
your recent bereavement. With your permission relevant
Bath and North East Somerset Council Services and
Central Government departments will be informed of the
bereavement. Local services include Council Relevant
Central Government departments that can be notified include:
Department for Works and Pensions (DWP) Passport Office
(IPS) Driving Licence (DVLA) Overseas Health and War
Pensions department.

It will be necessary for the informant to provide the
deceased’s National Insurance number (if known) and
relevant documents (Passport, Driving licence, Library Pass,
Blue Badge) If all the information is not available at the time
of the Death registration, the registrar will explain how to
access the service from home using a reference number and
free-phone telephone contact service with DWP (this service
is available up to 28 days following the death registration).

The idea of the service is that families are offered assistance
to inform local and central government departments at a
particularly difficult time, saving them valuable time and
money.’

13

Directions to the Register Office

Turn right out of the main hospital entrance along Combe
Park to the mini roundabout, bear left following signs for A431
city centre. Go straight on at the traffic lights and continue
to follow the road. At the next set of traffic lights go straight
on following city centre/long stay car park signs, passing
the park on your left hand side. Approaching the next set of
traffic lights stay in the left hand lane continue to the give
way sign (Queen Square) Keep in left hand lane to traffic
lights. Turn left then follow round to right. Take 1st turn on
right into Milsom Street continue to traffic lights turn left and
prepare to turn right following signs to Car Park. Keep in
right hand lane turn right at the junction. The car park will be
seen immediately on your left. As you exit the car park, turn
left past Waitrose Supermarket and walk straight on crossing
road, the Guildhall building is on the left, go past the Guildhall
market (Wheelchair access is through this entrance on the
right ),otherwise take steps on left into Guildhall.

Registering by Declaration

It is possible to make a declaration of someone’s death at a
local register office after first obtaining the Medical Certificate
of Cause of Death from this hospital.

The information you provide at the local office will then
be forwarded to the Register Office in Bath; you will
subsequently receive the certificates by post from the Bath
office.

Remember your local Register office will not issue you
with certificates, and your funeral arrangements may be
delayed.

14

15

At The Register Office

The death is registered by taking the Medical Certificate of
Cause of Death, issued by the hospital, to the Register Office.

Registration is normally the responsibility of a relative or if this
is not possible then check with Registrar that you are qualified
to act as an informant.

When you go to the Register Office you will be asked if
possible to provide the following:

• The Medical Certificate of Cause of Death
• The deceased’s NHS medical card
• Birth and marriage or civil partnership certificates
• Any War pension information

The Registrar will ask for the following information:-

• Date and place of death
• Full name (any maiden or former names)
• Usual address
• Date and place of birth
• Occupation (and the occupation of spouse or civil
partner)
• Pensions or allowances from public funds
• If the deceased was married or had formed a civil
partnership, the date of birth of the surviving widow,
widower or civil partner.

16

The Registrar will provide you with the following:

White form (BD8) - which you may need to claim or cease
any benefit payment
Green Form (9)-which is the undertaker’s authority to proceed
with the funeral arrangements
Death certificate(s) - for which a £4.00 fee per certificate
is payable. It is recommended that sufficient copies are
obtained for Probate, Insurance policies and savings
accounts and investments. Further copies may be purchased
at a later date but will incur an additional fee.

Register Office telephone number is : 01225 477234

The Funeral

It is important that any Will is read as soon as possible as it
may include wishes or instructions for funeral arrangements

On your first contact with the Bereavement Office you will be
asked of the family’s wishes in regard to burial or cremation.

If a cremation is chosen then cremation papers need to be
issued and we will arrange for our medical staff to complete
the necessary forms. These will be given to your funeral
director.

Funerals can be expensive. However, the cost is normally
met from the assets of the deceased person. However, do not
be afraid to discuss with the funeral director, ways of reducing
costs.

If you are receiving certain benefits, you may be entitled to
get a Social Fund Funeral Payment to help with the cost. Ask
at your local social security office.

17

Members of the National Association of Funeral Directors
provide a full breakdown of funeral costs and disbursements
either before or after taking your instructions. Disbursements
include doctors, ministers, church, grave and cremation fees.

A list of local funeral directors is available from the
Bereavement Office if required.

If it is the wish of the deceased or the family for donations in
lieu of flowers to be offered to the RUH for either a specific
clinical area or its wider work, these can be directed to the
Forever Friends Appeal.

If donations are to be forwarded to this hospital then please
provide a name and address to whom any official receipts can
be forwarded along with any guidance as to where or how the
gift should be used.

The Forever Friends Appeal Office,
Royal United Hospital,
Combe Park,
Bath BA1 3NG

Ref: Royal United Hospital Bath - Bereavement Book
Review Date: December 2016
Publication Date: December 2014

18

Useful Telephone Numbers and Addresses



Cruse Bereavement Care Patient Advice and
0844 4779400 Liaison Service (PALS)
Royal United Hospital
Age UK / Age Concern Tel: 01225 825656
18, Kingsmead Square, Bath
Tel: 01225 466135 Haycombe Crematorium &
Cemetery
Samaritans Whiteway Rd, Bath BA2 2RQ
Tel: 0845 7909090 Tel: 01225 396020

The Compassionate Friends Probate Registry

53, North St. Bedminster, The Crescent Centre

Bristol Temple Back, Bristol BS1 6EP

Helpline Tel: 0845 123 2304 Tel: 0117 927 3915

Benefits Agency
See local telephone directory

DWP information booklets

What to do after a Death Booklet D49

A Guide to Bereavement Benefits Booklet NP45

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20 TO BE PERFORATED

Request for Entry into the Book of Remembrance

Name of Deceased: .................................................................................................................................
Date of Birth: ..................................................... Date of Death: ............................................................
Remembered By: .....................................................................................................................................
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Verse/Tribute: ...........................................................................................................................................
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Your details (or person requesting entry):
Name: .......................................................................................................................................................
Address: ...................................................................................................................................................
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Telephone Number: .................................................................................................................................
Please return to:
The Hospital Chaplaincy, Royal United Hospital, Combe Park, Bath BA1 3NG. Tel: 01225 824039

Personal Notes

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Published by RNS Publications © Tel: 01253 832400 R10