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University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust

Bereavement Book Information for bereaved relatives

University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust

Please accept our sincere condolences on your sad loss and hope that the information provided helps you with some of the formalities you may encounter following the loss of a loved one.

Contents Arrangement for the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death (MCCD)...................................................................................................................................... 1 Medical Examiner (ME)....................................................................................................................................... 2 Can my loved one donate tissue?....................................................................................................... 2 When you contact the Registrar............................................................................................................ 3-4 You may require extra Death Certificates................................................................................ 4 Registrar Offices location map................................................................................................................. 5-6 When a death is reported to the Coroner.............................................................................. 7 Visiting a deceased patient........................................................................................................................... 8 Grieving. ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 8 Who can I contact for support?.............................................................................................................. 9 List of Support Agencies.................................................................................................................................... 9 Bereavement Office location map...................................................................................................... 10 Notes.............................................................................................................................................................................................. 11

Arrangement for the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death (MCCD) What’s next? You will need to make an initial phone call to the Bereavement Office between 9.00am and 3.00pm on the next working day after their death (weekdays only) on 01273 664611. A confidential message service operates outside of our normal working hours or when we are speaking to other families, so please leave a message and we will get back to you as soon as possible. Please do not come to the Bereavement Office. When the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death (MCCD) is ready, we will contact you with regards to co-ordinating your next appointment at the Registrar of births and deaths. The process should usually be completed within 5 working days, and is dependent upon the availability of a doctor who was caring for your loved one. They are responsible for completion of the required documentation, unless HM Coroner requires further investigations. Kindly note that the MCCD will be issued as soon as possible following your loss, however the doctor involved in the care of your loved one may be unable to complete this on the day of your initial phone call, but we will keep in contact with you as to when the MCCD has been completed. The MCCD is now sent to the Registrar electronically and the release documents needed by the funeral directors to collect your loved one are retained in the Bereavement Office awaiting your notification of the funeral director of your choice. We advise that a date for the funeral should not be booked until you have registered the death. Although all other funeral arrangements can be made at any time. Your loved one will be cared for by our mortuary staff at one of our four hospital sites across UH Sussex until received into the care of your chosen funeral director. 1

Medical Examiner The Medical Examiner role has been introduced at the hospital to ensure the legal documentation is completed as soon as possible, if there are no indicators for them to refer to HM Coroner. Medical Examiners are independent senior doctors employed by the Trust, who work alongside the bereavement team providing expert support and advice to doctors completing the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death (MCCD) for adults. The Medical Examiner will review the medical notes to ensure the correct cause of death is identified. The Medical Examiners’ Office may contact a designated family member to help you understand the cause of death and provide you with an opportunity to raise any concerns during the final illness and to ask further questions if you wish to do so. Although they may not be able to answer your questions immediately the Medical Examiner will be able to advise you of additional sources of information and support. The Medical Examiner Officers can be contacted on 01273 523162.

Can my loved one donate tissue? Yes, many people who die in hospital are suitable to donate tissue, regardless of their age or medical condition. Tissue donation can benefit the lives of others in a very special way. Tissues that can be donated include eye tissue, skin, bone, tendons and heart valves. The donation will take place within 24-48 hours. You will be able to see your loved one afterwards and the donation will not delay any funeral arrangements. If you would like more information about heart valves and tissue donation then please contact the nurse in charge of the ward as soon as possible, ideally within 12 hours of your loved one’s death. 2

When you contact the Registrar You will need to contact the Registry Office to arrange a time when you can register the death. The Registrar of Births and Deaths Brighton Town Hall St. Bartholomew Square Brighton BN1 1JA Monday to Friday 9:30am – 5pm except Wednesday when they open at 10am. Telephone: 01273 292016 Website: www.brighton-hove.gov.uk While it is not essential, you should also take supporting documents that show your name and address (e.g. a utility bill) but you can still register a death without them. One of the following can register a death: • A relative of the deceased • Someone who was present at the death • Someone organising the funeral You need to have with you if possible: Copies of the deceased’s: • The medical (NHS) card if available • Driving licence • Council tax bill • Marriage or Civil partnership certificate (if applicable)

• NI number • Passport • Proof of address, e.g. Utility bill • Birth certificate

The Registrar will need to know the following: • Date and place of death • Full name (including any former names), date and place of birth • Marital status • Home address • Occupation of the deceased • The date of birth of the surviving partner • Details of pensions or benefits The Registrar will arrange with you which Funeral Director you would need the Certificate of Registration of Death (green) form to be sent to. • A certificate for burial or cremation – known as the green form – this is needed by the funeral director • A certificate for the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) – Form BD8 together with a pre-paid envelope for you to send this off.

You may require extra Death Certificates Death certificates may be needed by an Executor or Administrator. A death certificate is a certified copy of the entry of the death in the register. You may need certificates for; Banks Building Societies Pension & Insurance claims Premium Bonds and National Savings Life Insurance

Financial Contracts and Agreements Probate Solicitors Accountants Shares

Certificates can be obtained at the time of registration or at any time afterwards for a small fee. 4

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When a death is reported to the Coroner In some circumstances it may be necessary for the doctor to refer the death to HM Coroner. There are specific circumstances, when the hospital doctor is required by law to report the death to HM Coroner. This may include the cause of death being unclear, sudden or suspicious or due to unnatural causes. A referral to HM Coroner does not automatically mean a post mortem is required and many referrals are resolved with minimal delay. The Coroner may order a post mortem in order to establish the cause of death and has the power to do so without the formal consent of the next of kin. In such circumstances the medical certificate will be issued by the Coroner’s Office who will contact you directly to advise when the certificate will be available at the Registrar’s Office for you to register the death. If the Coroner allows the hospital to issue the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death (MCCD) the Bereavement Office will contact you, otherwise the Coroner’s Office should be in touch with you. If you need to contact the Coroner’s Officers they are on 033 022 25560. They are open Monday – Friday only between the hours of 8am-4pm

Visiting a deceased patient When a patient dies in the hospital, they will be taken to the mortuary where they will remain until they are collected by the funeral director or Coroners transport service. If you wish to visit the deceased, you can discuss this with the Bereavement Team on 01273 664611. Please be aware the mortuary staff are not permitted to dress, apply make up or remove medical equipment. Out of office hours, you are advised to contact the Site Managers via switchboard, who will be able to advise you. You will, of course, also be able to pay your last respects at the Funeral Director’s Chapel of Rest, where they have specialist facilities.

Grieving Grieving is a natural process that takes place after any kind of loss. When a loved one passes away the emotions experienced can be quite overwhelming. Although everyone reacts to bereavement differently, people do tend to experience similar feelings. These feelings take time to go through and cannot be hurried. You may go from one feeling to another and back again. There is no set pattern and each individual can be affected in a different way.

Who can I contact for support? It is not unusual at times to feel that you are overwhelmed by the intensity of your grief. Friends and colleagues can help by letting you talk about it at your own pace for as long as it takes, by simply being there and acknowledging your feelings. Although it is important to share your feelings with your family and friends, it can also be very helpful to find someone else to talk to and listen to how you are feeling. If you feel the need to talk to someone sympathetic who is outside your immediate family you can contact your GP, the hospital chaplain, or the voluntary organisations listed in our booklet.

List of Support Agencies Cruse Bereavement Support Line Tel: 0300 0113300 www.cruse.org.uk

Age UK Tel: 01273 720603 www.ageuk.org.uk

WAY (Widowed and Young) Self help support for men and women under 50 whose partner or spouse has died. www.widowedandyoung.org.uk

DWP Department for Work and Pensions Bereavement Service Tel: 0800 151 2012 Dying Matters www.dyingmatters.org

Child Bereavement UK Helpline: 0800 0288840 www.childbereavementuk.org The Samaritans Tel: 116 123 www.samaritans.org

Bereavement Office is located on Floor 1

Notes

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Reference: Royal Sussex County Hospital Bereavement Booklet Publication date: July 2026 Review date: July 2028

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. Please note, whilst information is correct at the time of publication, this may be subject to future change.

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publication has been developed between By registering withThis our free service, the names andjointly addresses of the deceased are removed from mailing lists, and stopping most advertising mail itwithin as little asbe six ourselves the hospital. We hope that has been or will weeks. of help at this time and we welcome any comments or suggestions that you may have.

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01253 832400

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