Bereavement services at St Helier Hospital

Bereavement Services at St Helier Hospital

What to do first

After someone dies there are a number of things which must be done.

The following information may help you with the things that must be done within the first few days and the order in which to do them.

Please contact the Bereavement Office before you come to the hospital, their telephone number is 020 8296 2491- the office is open from 10am – 3pm Monday to Friday. It does not open on public holidays.

The Bereavement Officer will electronically send a copy of the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death to Sutton Register Office who will then contact you directly to make an appointment to officially register the death in person. You will be able to purchase copies of the death certificate at this appointment.

Sutton Register Office Tel: 020 8770 6790 or Email: register.office@sutton.gov.uk

While the hospital will make every effort to provide the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death as quickly as possible, please note that this may sometimes take a number of days.

If you wish to see your loved one in the hospital chapel of rest, please contact the Bereavement Office who will be able to advise if this is possible.

It is advisable that you are in contact with the Bereavement Office before you begin to make funeral arrangements.

Once you have registered the death the Register Office will electronically send the Certificate for Burial or Cremation (green form) to your chosen funeral directors to allow them to transfer your deceased loved one from the hospital to the funeral home with fewer delays.

Patient’s Property

Please ask ward staff about any property or valuable items

The Coroner

Under certain circumstances, for example if the death was sudden or unexpected or the cause of death has not been determined, a doctor will not be able to issue a Medical Certificate of Cause of Death. In such cases, the doctor must legally inform the Coroner.

The involvement of the Coroner may cause some delay especially if a post mortem examination is required. If a death has been reported to a Coroner, you can still contact your chosen funeral director.

South London Coroner Tel: 020 8313 1883 or Email: admin.coroner@croydon.gov.uk 

Medical Examiner Service

The service offers the bereaved and carers of the deceased an opportunity to ask questions or raise concerns about the cause of death including the care received prior to the death.

Medical Examiners review all relevant medical records and discuss the cause of death with the appropriate doctor issuing the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death (MCCD).

Upon completion of the MCCD you will be contacted by telephone either by a Medical Examiner or Medical Examiner Officer who will advise of the proposed cause of death. They can also explain what medical language means and make it easier to understand.

The Medical Examiner will provide an independent view of causes of death and the care provided.

Medical Examiners and their staff will discuss your thoughts, questions and concerns, and if they find issues with care that need further investigation.  It is not the role of the Medical Examiner service to investigate these concerns however they will advise how best these concerns can be addressed.

As well as answering your questions, this can help the NHS provide better care for other patients and carers in future, for example by uncovering ways in which patient and family care could be improved.

Bereavement Booklet

Please click on the weblink below to view a copy of the St Helier Hospital Bereavement Booklet.

St Helier Hospital Bereavement Booklet 

Bereavement Survey

To help improve the care in our service we value your feedback.  If you feel ready to share your experience, please complete our bereavement survey using the QR code or weblink below.

WWW.gthr.co.uk/7d64