Practical support and information following the death of your child
On behalf of Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board we would like to offer our sincere condolences on the death of your child.
This is understandably a devastating time for the whole family, therefore it is important to take time to process what has happened. In the near future you will be required to have some difficult conversations, when everything can seem very confusing. The aim of this booklet is to give you as much information as possible, to help you make the right choices for you and your family when these decisions have to be made.
This booklet will cover both unexpected and expected deaths in the hospital or community.
Information you may find useful:
Hospital staff information
The ward manager today is:
Your child’s nurse today was:
Your child’s Consultant is:
Their secretary can be contacted on:
Community Palliative team information (if applicable)
Your community Palliative nurse is:
They can be contacted on:
Your child’s Consultant is:
Their secretary can be contacted on:
What
happens immediately after my child’s sudden death in hospital?
If you wish, you can ask for your child to have a blessing or prayers. This can be carried out by either the hospital Chaplain or of course you are also able to contact a faith leader of your choice. A hospital Chaplain is available 24 hours a day 365 days of the year and they can be contacted for both spiritual and religious support for people of all faiths or no faith. Please speak to the nurse looking after you for further information.
Memory making is something that we can offer with a memory box provided from the charity 2wish. We can help to collect handprints and locks of hair if required and support you in spending time with your child, answering any questions that you may have. If you feel that you are not ready to do this, we can help facilitate the memory making process after you have gone home. Alternatively, your funeral directors can arrange this too once your child is in their care.
Leaving the hospital can feel like such a daunting task. Whether the death is expected or unexpected, it is important that at all times you feel supported throughout the processes that will follow.
Is it possible to see my child at the hospital?
If the death was sudden, we would need to get permission from the Coroner to authorise a visit. This is because the Coroner is the person who will be investigating the cause of death.
Whilst we speak to the Coroner’s office to gain the relevant permission, there may be a slight delay while we await a reply. We will get back to you as quickly as we can, but you will be kept informed throughout until an appointment can be agreed.
If you wish to make an appointment, you can call our bereavement officers 9am-5pm Monday-Friday, on the following numbers to arrange this:
Royal Glamorgan Hospital - Tel: 01443 443249
Prince Charles Hospital - Tel: 01685 728625
Princess of Wales Hospital - Tel: 01656 754088
Alternatively if you do not feel able to call to arrange a visit, you can email ctm.bereavementsupport@wales.nhs.uk and we will liaise with the relevant people for you to book an appointment.
Procedural Response to Unexpected Deaths in Childhood - PRUDiC
PRUDiC stands for Procedural Response to Unexpected Death in Childhood, and is the process which describes how professionals in Wales must respond to the unexpected death of a child. This process is in place to make sure that the support provided is safe, consistent and sensitive to the needs of any bereaved family.
All unexpected deaths are reported to the Coroner in every case. They will decide whether a post mortem examination is needed, and will either open an inquest or an investigation.
There are a series of PRUDiC meetings which are attended by health, police, social services, education etc. who share as much information as possible about your child, the circumstances around their death, why it may have happened and any learning to come from the information gathered, which may help to prevent further deaths. Information is also shared with the Wales Child Death Review Programme.
Your family will have been allocated a key worker during the first meeting, which is held usually within 5 days of death. They will have been selected to be your point of contact for any questions on the process, and to provide support to your family in the coming weeks. They will be in touch with you to introduce themselves and provide their details.
Families are not able to attend the meetings, however your key worker will share any information with you from the PRUDiC meetings and help to signpost you to bereavement support services.
The role of the Police following the sudden death of your child
The Procedural Response to Unexpected Death in Childhood (PRUDiC) process in Wales, requires that all unexpected child deaths are carefully reviewed to learn as much as possible, prevent future deaths, and support families.
The PRUDiC process is Police led and helps to coordinate support for bereaved families. They will work with the nursing teams to support you, and those widely affected by what has happened.
It is the normal process for police to be involved following the sudden death of a child?
The Police work on behalf of the Coroner and their involvement ensures a safe, consistent, and sensitive response to all involved. This is a standard process for all cases where a sudden or unexpected death occurs.
Throughout this process, the Police are present to be able to support families, offering them clear communication and providing compassion during such a difficult time.
Working with medical professionals and arranging postmortem examinations, the Police provide detailed reports back to the Coroner to help find a cause of death.
When possible, the police will try to use non-uniformed officers to minimise distress for the family. They also take into account the family’s wishes and balance these with the needs of the investigation, ensuring a compassionate and thorough approach. Families can expect to be kept updated throughout, and they will be provided with the name and contact details of the Officer in Charge (OIC) from the outset.
The role of the Coroner
Any death that is unexpected would need to be referred to the Coroner for investigation. The Coroner is someone who is working with you, to try and find the right results for you as a family, to be able understand and accept a proposed cause of death.
The Coroner is sensitive to the fact that the decision to perform a post mortem can be upsetting for families. It is however a judicial decision to try and find out what has happened, and families are not able to object to it going ahead. Before a Post Mortem is carried out, the Coroner will speak to the family and take into account any information that is provided to them, before a decision is made to go ahead.
If your child’s death is referred to the Coroner you will have a dedicated Coroner’s Officer assigned to your family. Once they have been made aware of the death of your child, they will call you within 48 hours and give you a single point of contact.
This person will talk you through the coronial process and be there to answer any questions you may have.
We would like to assure you that everyone involved in the care of your child during this time will be as sensitive, respectful and gentle as possible, keeping you informed throughout.
This can seem like a lot of information to take in at such a difficult time, and you may find that you have questions that come into your mind at different times of the day.
There is a notes section at the back of this booklet for you to put any relevant information or record any questions as you think of them. By writing them down, when you speak to the Coroner’s Officer or anyone involved in this process, you will know where to find them.
If it is helpful, you can also note the Coroner’s Officer details below, when they are given to you:
Name of Coroner’s Officer:
Contact number:
The Coroner’s Office can be reached between 8am and 4pm on 01443 281100 or by email at Coroneradmin@rctcbc.gov.uk
What happens next when a death is expected?
An 'expected death' in a medical context refers to a death that is anticipated due to a child’s advanced or incurable illness or condition. This means the death is sadly predicted and discussed in advance with family and clinical teams, rather than it being sudden or unexpected and not discussed as a possibility.
If your child had an illness or a condition that was incurable, you may have discussed with your care team an appropriate care pathway, around what was going to be important to you as a family at this difficult time. Specialist staff and local health professionals will work alongside others, such as hospice or hospital staff to help support you and your family when you need them.
If your child had an incurable condition or illness, but was not expected to die when or how they did, the doctor may decide that the death is to be treated as unexpected and a Coroner referral would need to be made and you will be contacted by a Coroner’s officer.
Information regarding your child’s death will be shared with the Child Death Review Programme (CDRP). They will review all child deaths in Wales to see if there are any common factors that could be looked into to prevent future cases, or lessons learned from good practice and improvement sharing across health boards.
If you would like your child’s information removed from the Child Death Review programme records, please contact ctm.bereavementsupport@wales.nhs.uk and your request will be forwarded to the relevant department.
Keeping your child at home
Where the death is expected and your child dies at home, we understand that you may wish to keep them with you for some time before they are taken to your chosen funeral directors. Your Palliative care team will work with you to carry out your care plan where possible, and will discuss the options available and the equipment that can be provided.
Transferring your child to hospice care
When your child has a life limiting condition you may have in their care plan that you wish, where possible, for them to be transferred into hospice care at the end of their life. If your child has died and has not been able to be transferred prior to their death, please contact your palliative care team who will be able to discuss the options available to you now.
Collection of equipment and patient notes
If your child was using specialist equipment at home and you would like to arrange collection of these items, please contact your community children’s nursing team to select a date and time suitable for you.
If your child’s nursing notes are still at home, please do not discard them. If the community children’s nursing team have not already collected them, please let them know when they contact you, that you still have them. They will then arrange to collect them and file them away in the hospital medical records department as per our hospital policy.
We appreciate that having these items in your home can sometimes cause distress, therefore we will do all that we can to collect them swiftly and sensitively.
The role of the Medical Examiner
The Medical Examiner service became mandatory across Wales on the 9th September 2024, following wider Death Certification Reforms introduced across England and Wales, and all deaths not investigated by a Coroner must be scrutinised by the Medical Examiner Service.
There may be occasions where the Coroner and the Medical Examiner work together with a family. An example of this could be where a child has a life limiting condition but did not die from that condition. The Coroner will then need to review the case as the death becomes unexpected. If this is the case you will be informed by the medical team and will have input from both organisations.
The Medical Examiner provides bereaved families with an opportunity to ask questions, seek clarification or raise concerns regarding the care their loved one received.
Medical Examiners are senior doctors, independent from the hospital. They will review the care given to your child and help identify any situations in which there is potential learning from situations.
As the Medical Examiner Service provides an independent medical review of care, part of this process values your thoughts, comments or concerns.
Once they receive a referral for your child they will call you within 24-72 hours and this number may be withheld. They will introduce themselves, explain the process and listen to any questions you may have regarding your child’s care.
They will discuss your child’s proposed cause of death and aim to answer any questions you have around this information. You will then be given the details of who you would need to speak to if you had further questions or wanted further updates.
The Medical Examiner’s team understand that these discussions may be too difficult for you at this time and are very sensitive to the needs of you and your family. If you would like someone else to be the first contact for them to have these discussions, you can give them the details when they call you or inform the bereavement office staff at the hospital closest to you.
Will this delay funeral arrangements?
You can still book appointments with funeral directors at this time to make arrangements, however they will not be able to finalise any details until they receive the death certificate.
The Medical Examiner Service will let you know when the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death will be sent to the Register Office. From this date you will have 5 days to register the death and the registrars will be as supportive and sensitive as they can to facilitate this with you.
Registering your child’s death
If the death of your child was sudden and being looked at by the Coroner, they may decide to open an investigation or inquest and issue an interim death certificate. If this is the case you will not need to go to the Register Office as the Coroner’s office will send the certificate to you. This will allow you to plan the funeral and for your child to be collected by the funeral director. Once the investigation or inquest is completed a final death certificate will be issued.
If the cause of death has been identified from a life limiting condition and is being looked at by the Medical Examiner, they will inform you once they have issued the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death (MCCD). At this stage the Register Office will receive the documentation and the team there will call you to make an appointment to register the death.
The Medical Examiner’s Officers will have passed on your contact details to the Registry Office, you do not have to do anything.
The Register Office staff will be very supportive when you speak with them and will have great empathy to your situation. They understand that this appointment may be difficult for you to attend, and they will do all they can to make the process as quick and simple as possible.
They will discuss with you a time that is suitable, often trying to accommodate an appointment where you do not have to wait with other people in the same room, giving you privacy and space. Your wellbeing is a priority and they will take time and patience to make sure everything is understood and explained to you before you arrive and then again before you leave. Any concerns you may have around attending, please discuss with them when they call you.
How do I arrange my child’s funeral?
Most funeral directors in Wales will provide a basic funeral for children up to the age of 18 free of charge. This will not include additional items such as flowers, personalised coffins or additional cars but it will give you a dignified, respectful funeral and meaningful goodbye to your child, without the burden that can sometimes be felt with financial pressures.
It is a good idea to have a think about which funeral director you may wish to choose. You may already have someone in mind, as many families have a local funeral director that they or their family have used before and that they trust.
If you have never spoken to a funeral director before, or have no idea where to start please don’t worry. This may feel really overwhelming but please be assured that you are not on your own. You can contact the bereavement team via email at the following address: ctm.bereavementsupport@wales. nhs.uk where someone will call you back and assist you with any questions you may have, providing guidance and support through your decision making.
It is important to remember that your choices will not be rushed and you should not feel pressurised into making decisions. It is better that you take your time and feel you have come to make the right choice, rather than choosing an option because you feel you should.
You are able to request the services of our hospital Chaplain to facilitate the funeral at no additional charge, if they have supported you through this difficult time. If you would like to speak to our Chaplains regarding this, email ctm. bereavementsupport@wales.nhs.uk and our lead chaplain will get back to you. If you would like to choose someone else to conduct the funeral, you are of course able to do so and you can discuss this with your chosen funeral director.
What facilities are available for families who have religious and cultural beliefs?
Each hospital has a multi faith room that you are able to visit 365 days a year, 24 hours a day.
Royal Glamorgan Hospital - Main entrance, walk past the coffee shop, turn right into corridor, walk to the end of the corridor and multi faith room is located inside the last double doors on the right before the exit and first room on the left.
Prince Charles Hospital - Take the main lifts to the first floor, walk down the corridor directly in front of lifts and multi faith room is on your right hand side.
Princess of Wales Hospital - Main entrance, to end of corridor past coffee shop and visitor information desk, turn left into main corridor and chapel is located down there on the left.
Our chaplains are available on call 24 hours a day and can be called by the ward staff upon request. They can offer your child a blessing or just some comforting words whilst you are still in the hospital, or they can be contacted outside of hours if you are in spiritual distress via our switchboard.
If you are coming to the hospital for a visit with your child and would like a chaplain present there, you can ask our mortuary staff to call them to meet you.
Where possible at Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board, we endeavour to embrace the cultural beliefs and religions of our families. If you have any specific care after death rituals or beliefs you would like us to adhere to, please speak to the nursing teams involved in your child’s care, who will do their best to accommodate these for you and your family.
It is really important to us that you feel we have acknowledged what is important to you following the death of your child. Working together during such a difficult time, will help you to know what support is available as well as help to keep you informed of the processes that will follow.
Support available through grief and loss
Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board
Chaplaincy Team
For aspects of religious and spiritual care
CTM.bereavementsupport@wales.nhs.uk
Or via our hospital switchboards
01443 443443 Royal Glamorgan Hospital RCT
01656 752752 Princess of Wales Hospital Bridgend
01685 721721
Prince Charles Hospital Merthyr Tydfil
Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board
Bereavement Clinical Lead
Enquiries and support following the death of your child
Donna Morgan
CTM.bereavementsupport@wales.nhs.uk
Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board
Bereavement Midwives
For support following baby loss
Claire Westcott - 07779 876297
Natalie Abass - 07779 877995
CTM.bereavementsupport@wales.nhs.uk
Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board
Bereavement Officers
The Bereavement Officers are available 9:00am-4.00pm
Monday to Friday, however they are not available at weekends or on Bank Holidays
Royal Glamorgan Hospital - Tel: 01443 443249
Prince Charles Hospital - Tel: 01685 728625
Princess of Wales Hospital - Tel: 01656 754088
Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board Butterfly Baby Loss Support Group
Facebook - CTM Butterfly Support Group
Face to face support available in groups email to enquirectm.bereavementsupport@wales.nhs.uk
Coroner’s office - South Wales Central 01443 281100
Medical Examiner Service 02921 500599
Main number available: 08:00 – 16:00 Monday to Friday
Response from Email/ QR code: 08:00 – 17:00 Monday to Sunday
2Wish Cymru
Supporting families through the sudden and unexpected death of a child or young person under the age of 25 www.2wish.org.uk 01443 853125
National Advisory Liaison Service (NALS)
Free confidential support for those affected by suicide in Wales 08000 487742 www.NALS.cymru
Child Bereavement UK
Supporting Children through the loss of a sibling www.childbereavementuk.org 0800 02 888 40
The Compassionate Friends
www.tcf.org.uk 0345 123 2304
Care for the Family
www.careforthefamily.org.uk
029 2081 0800
Children’s Cancer and Leukaemia Group www.cclg.org.uk
Young Lives Vs Cancer
www.younglivesvscancer.org
0300 303 5220
Grief Encounter
www.griefencounter.org.uk
0808 802 0111
Winston’s Wish
Supporting young people through the death of a sibling www.winstonswish.org
08088 020 021
Sibling Grief Club www.siblinggriefclub.com
Child Bereavement UK
Supporting young people through the death of a sibling www.childbereavementuk.org
0800 02 888 40
Student Grief Network
www.studentgriefnetwork.co.uk
Switchboard - Grief Encounters www.switchboard.org.uk
01273 20 40 50
The Good Grief Trust - LGBTQ Café www.thegoodgrieftrust.org
Cruse Bereavement Support
www.cruse.org.uk
0808 808 1677
Jewish Bereavement Counselling Service www.jbcs.org.uk
020 8951 3881
Muslim Bereavement Support Service www.mbss.org.uk
020 3468 7333
Sikh Helpline www.sikhhelpline.com/bereavement-losing-someoneimportant/
24/7 confidential helpline on 03000 3000 63 or 07999 0043 63
Marie Curie and Diverse Cymru www.mariecurie.org.uk
0800 090 2309
Together for Short Lives Provides information and support for children with terminal illnesses and their families. www.togetherforshortlives.org.uk
0808 808 8 100
Ty Hafan
Children’s hospice for Wales www.tyhafan.org 029 2053 2200
Lullaby Trust
www.lullabytrust.org.uk/bereavement-support/ Call 0808 802 6868 or email support@lullabytrust.org.uk
4louis
Providing resources and memory making following the death of your baby www.4louis.co.uk/
Child Death Helpline
The national freephone Child Death Helpline dedicated to provide a quality Freephone service to anyone affected by the death of a child of any age www.childdeathhelpline.org.uk
Monday to Friday 10:00 to 13:00 Monday to Sunday 19:00 to 22:00
Call our freephone helpline on 0800 282 986
Eye to Eye Trauma Response Team
sarah.jenkins@eyetoeye.wales or 07985 631986 emily.evans@eyetoeye.wales or 07708 472181
