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NHS Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust

When a loved one dies...

Calderdale Royal Hospital, Salterhebble, Halifax HX3 0PW

Integrated Facilities Management Working in partnership with Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust

Tel: 01422 357171

The death of someone close is probably one of the most distressing events that can happen. As well as coping with grief, you may feel overwhelmed by the many things to organise. The information in this booklet endeavours to help with some of the practical issues you, your family or friend may have to deal with at this time. We offer our deepest condolences and staff are willing to help in any way they can. If you wish to talk to someone, do not hesitate to contact:

Bereavement Office 01422 222088 Monday – Friday 8.30am – 4.30pm Chaplaincy 01422 224220 Patient Advice and Complaints Service 0800 013 0018

Personal Care after Death Your loved one will be treated with respect and cared for after they have died, however it will be necessary to move them to the hospital mortuary within 4 hours of death. Arrangements for viewing or releasing your loved one are as follows: For deaths in Calderdale Royal Hospital: Ring switchboard on 01422 357171: Monday - Friday

12:30 – 16:00

Ask for the Mortuary

NB. Appointments must be made by contacting the Mortuary staff via Switchboard.

When a loved one dies, first steps When someone dies there are a number of details which must be completed. The following information may assist you with completing these details within the initial days. We advise not to book a registrar’s appointment until you have spoken with the Medical Examiner Team. The Medical Examiner Team is not open on Public Bank Holidays. If your loved one is to be taken out of the country, then you must inform the Coroner’s Office of your plans. You will be unable to remove your loved one until this has been done. Patient Property Please ask the Bereavement Office about any property or valuable items.

The role of Medical Examiners and Medical Examiner’s Officers Following the death of a relative or friend, a member of the Medical Examiner team will contact you to explain what happens next upon receipt of a completed Medical Certificate of Cause of Death (MCCD). Since 9 September 2024, legislation came into effect that all deaths in any health setting within England & Wales that are not investigated by a Coroner will be reviewed by NHS Medical Examiners. Medical Examiners are senior NHS Doctors within Calderdale & Huddersfield that have undertaken specialist training to work as a Medical Examiner. Alongside, other specially trained staff, their job is to give independent advice about causes of death (except for deaths that are referred to the Coroner). Medical Examiners and their staff (Medical Examiner Officers) offer bereaved families and carers an opportunity to raise any questions or concerns about the causes of death, or about the care the person received before their death. This will usually be through a telephone call. They are trained professionals who are there to guide and help you during this difficult time and will be very understanding. The Medical Examiner and their staff are here to listen to your questions and concerns and provide answers if possible. If issues are found, they will be passed onto the appropriate people to be formally investigated; if this is the case the Medical Examiner or Officer can explain this process to you. Medical Examiners will not investigate further themselves, as to not delay the death certification process.

Please be assured that the Medical Examiners will make every effort to avoid any delays for bereaved families and carers to meet the legal requirements of death registration. Each case will be dealt with individually and, when possible, the Medical Examiner’s office will give priority to those where relatives require urgent release of the deceased. The Medical Examiner’s Office is currently open Monday to Friday 8am – 5pm. Telephone: 01484 356930 / 01484 356931 Email: medical.examiner@cht.nhs.uk Bereavement Office The Bereavement Office is located on the first floor also known as the General Office, please ask at the Main Reception for directions. The Doctor who has been involved with the care of your relative/ friend will write the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death (MCCD) in the bereavement office. The Bereavement Officer will scan a copy to the Medical Examiner Team (MET), who will scrutinise the death and review the completed MCCD to ensure it is accurate. The MET will make contact with the Next of Kin (NOK) to explain the process. Once scrutiny has been completed the Medical Examiner will contact the NOK to explain the cause of death. The Medical Examiner will electronically send a copy to Calderdale Register Office and will advise the NOK to make a Registrar’s appointment. This appointment is to officially register the death in person and where you will also be able to purchase copies of the death certificate. 5

Whilst the hospital will endeavour to provide the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death in a timely manner, this may sometimes take a few days. Coroners In some cases, it may not be possible for the doctor to issue a Medical Certificate of Cause of Death, for example if the death was sudden, unexpected or the cause of death hasn’t been determined. In these types of cases, the doctor must legally inform the Coroner who will start an investigation into the death. The Coroner independently investigates the death; however, the Medical Examiner may still provide expert medical advice to the Coroner. The involvement of the Coroner may cause some delays especially if a post mortem is required. The Coroner’s Office telephone number is 01274 438800. Other certain deaths must be reported to the Coroner and you can read about these on the internet by following the below www.gov.uk/government/publications/notification-of-deathsregulations-2019-guidance

Body Donation Some people will have made previous arrangements for their body to be used for medical research after their death. If this is the case you should contact the relevant organisation and also inform the Bereavement Office at the Hospital. Organ Donation n Organ donation is the gift of an organ to help someone who needs a transplant. Thousands of lives in the UK are saved or improved each year by organ transplants. Being in a position to become an organ donor is quite unusual which is why it’s very important to share your wishes should you or a loved one ever be in this situation. Organ donation can only occur when someone is on an Intensive Care Unit, and the staff on ICU work closely with the Organ Donation Team to ensure everyone who could possibly be a donor is given the chance to be, should that be their decision. Tissue Donation Tissue and Eye donation can be possible after someone has died anywhere in the hospital, at home or in a hospice environment. One donor can restore the sight of two people through corneal transplantation. Other tissues like bone, skin, heart valves and tendons may also be donated. The removal of tissues is carried out with the same care and respect as any other operation and does not affect funeral arrangements. The staff on the ward can refer you to NHS Tissue and Eye services on 0800 432 0559 if tissue donation is something your loved one would have wanted. 7

NHS Organ Donor Register: Organ and tissue donation in the UK has now moved to an “Opt out” system, which means you can choose, at any time, whether you want to register as a donor or opt out of organ donation. Choosing nothing will mean that you will be considered to have agreed to be an organ and tissue donor when you die. Talk to your family and friends so they know your decision and you know theirs. Find out more and record your decision by: Visit: organdonation.nhs.uk Phone: 0300 303 2094

Registering the death Registration of the death should if possible be registered with the Registrars within 5 days of the MCCD being completed. Registration takes place at Calderdale Register Office, details below: Calderdale Register Office, Spring Hall, Huddersfield Road, Halifax HX3 0AQ Tel: 01422 288080 Opening hours by appointment only: Monday – Friday 9:00am – 5:00pm The Medical Examiner will contact you and advise when you can make a Registrar’s appointment to register the death in person. At this appointment you can purchase copies of the death certificate. The Registry Office do not take cash, payment will need to be by either debit or credit card only. Unless the Coroner is involved (see page 6), a Medical Certificate of Cause of Death will be issued by the hospital and electronically sent to the Registry Office.

Registrar’s Office location map

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Who can register a death The person who can register a death is usually any of the following: • A relative of the deceased • A person who is arranging the funeral Information you will need to know • The full name and surname (and maiden name if applicable) • Date and place of birth and usual address • The occupation (and if the deceased was married, or in a civil partnership) • Whether the deceased was in receipt of a pension or allowance from public funds • If the deceased was married, the date of birth of the surviving widow or widower If available, the deceased person’s medical card should be handed to the Registrar. Death Certificate The Registrar will provide you with: • A Certificate of Registration of Death (form 111), issued for social security reasons, if the person is in receipt of a state pension. • Death Certificate/s. There is a fee payable for each certificate. You may need extra copies for insurance purposes, bank accounts or pensions. • A Certificate for Burial or Cremation (also known as a ‘green form’ or part B form). This will be electronically sent to the Crematorium and your chosen funeral director. • Tell us Once. You will be provided with a service reference number. For further details please speak with the Registrar at your appointment. 11

Stopping Junk Mail to the recently deceased If someone you know has died, the amount of unwanted marketing post being sent to them can be greatly reduced which helps to stop painful daily reminders. By registering with the free service www.stopmail.co.uk the names and addresses of the deceased are removed from mailing lists, stopping most advertising mail within as little as six weeks. If you cannot access the internet, you can call 03330 068114, where you will be asked for very simple information that will take only a few minutes to complete. This free of charge service provided by the Bereavement Support Network will not only actively reduce unwanted marketing mail but can also help reduce the likelihood of identity theft following the death of someone close. The information is not used for any other purpose and you only have to complete this once. Additionally to Stop Mail a comparable service can also be accessed from the Bereavement Register or Deceased Preference Service if you would prefer to use them.

Funeral After you have spoken with the Medical Examiner’s Team, it is advisable that you begin to look for a funeral director so that you can inform the Registrar when you attend the appointment. Once you have registered the death the Registrar will electronically send the Certificate for Burial or Cremation (green form/part B form) to the crematorium and your chosen funeral director to allow them to transfer your deceased loved one from the hospital mortuary to the funeral home with minimal delay. If you don’t already have a funeral director in mind and with funeral prices varying considerably it would be beneficial to contact more than one funeral director for written quotes for their services. The chosen funeral director should advise and support you with arranging the funeral of your choice. The deceased may have given instructions, either in a Will or to an individual person as to what their last wishes are. The choice of burial or cremation may also depend on cost or whether there is a family grave. The funeral director will advise you on all these concerns. Help with Funeral cost As funerals can be expensive. If you are on Income Support, Pension Credit or Housing Benefit, you may be able to get help from the government to help pay for the funeral. Advice can be obtained from www.gov.uk/funeral-payments/how-toclaim or telephone 0800 169 0140.

CHFT Bereavement Support Service The CHFT Bereavement Support Service / Bereavement Care Team, has recently changed. If you have any concerns or wish to relay a compliment about the care of your loved one, please contact the ward staff, who should be able to resolve this directly with you, or find someone to help you.

Remembering your loved one Calderdale & Huddersfield NHS Charity Tree of Memories is a beautiful way to honour someone you love. The beautiful Lilac Tree incorporates 450 leaves of gold, silver and bronze that can be engraved with a name or short personal message in return for a donation. Leaves will remain on the tree for a set period of time. After this, you will be invited to renew your donation and keep your leaf on the tree. Or we can send it to you for you to keep and cherish forever. Donations generated from the tree will help fund our work in the years to come. Bronze - £100 donation and the leaf will remain on the tree for one year. Silver - £200 donation and the leaf will remain on the tree for two years. Gold - £300 donation and the leaf will remain on the tree for three years. To find out more about the Tree of Memories or to purchase a leaf, please call us on 01484 344 344 or email chftfundraising@cht.nhs.uk Important information: Leaves are offered in exchange for direct donations. Unfortunately, we cannot accept contributions from funeral collections. Please allow a minimum of 4 weeks for your leaf to be engraved. Inscriptions should be a celebration of your special person and will be displayed alongside others for everyone to see. For this reason, we respectfully request that dates of death are avoided. You will be contacted two months prior to the end of your period with the option of a further period of display in return for a renewal donation. 15

Local & National Support The following organisations may be helpful in supporting you following your bereavement: Cruse A national Organisation for bereavement care Contact: 0808 808 1677 www.cruse.org.uk The Samaritans 29 Harrison Road, Halifax HX1 2AF Free phone: 116 123 www.samaritans.org Switchboard Telephone: 0800 0119 100 Compassionate Friends A national self-help organisation for bereaved parents 14 New King Street, Deptford, London SE8 3HS Helpline Telephone: 03451 232304 www.tcf.org.uk The Stillbirth and Neonatal Death Society (SANDS) Support for parents of babies who die before, during or within a month or so of birth Victoria Charity Centre, 11 Belgrave Road, London SW1V 1RB Helpline: 0808 164 3332 www.sands.org.uk Child Death Helpline Telephone: 0800 282 986 www.childdeathhelpline.org.uk 16

Survivors of Bereavement by Suicide (SOBS) National Office, Flamsteed Centre Albert Street, Ilkeston, Derbyshire DE7 5GU Helpline: 0300 111 5065 – Mon & Tue 9am - 5pm www.uksobs.com Winston’s Wish Family Line Support for children and young people who have experienced a death in their family Helpline: 08088 020 021 Leeds Mind Suicide Bereavement Services Compassionate support for anyone bereaved or affected by suicide in West Yorkshire and Craven. Delivered by staff who understand because they have been there. Telephone: 0113 305 5800 Email: sbs@leedsmind.org.uk www.leedsmind.org.uk

The Trust would like to thank RNS Publications for publishing this information and the following pages contain some features from services offering their support. Whilst the Trust is thankful for their support, we do not endorse any of the products or services they provide.

Reference: Calderdale Royal Hospital Bereavement Booklet Review Date: December 2027 Publication Date: December 2025

The Hospital would like to thank RNS Publications for publishing this information and the following pages contain some features from services offering their help at this time. Whilst the Hospital is grateful of their support it does not endorse or recommend any of the services that they provide.

STOPPING JUNK MAIL If someone you know has died, we can reduce the amount of unwanted marketing post being sent to them, stopping painful daily reminders. By registering with our free service, the names and addresses of the deceased are removed from mailing lists, stopping most advertising mail within as little as six weeks.

Call: 0333 006 8114 OR

Visit our website: www.stopmail.co.uk

bereavement support network stop mail

here to help

Calls are charged at standard landline rates. Calls from mobiles are included in inclusive call packages. © Bereavement Support Network Ltd 2025

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