"The death of someone close can be a shattering experience and, whether the death has been sudden or expected, we can find ourselves confused by a mixture of emotions. It can be very hard to make sense of it all"
From a leaflet "The Next Few Days" published by Cruse Bereavement Care Scotland
In February 2011 the Scottish Government Health Directorate published guidance for the NHS in Scotland on the development of quality bereavement support to relatives and carers following a death. That guidance, entitled "Shaping Bereavement Care", was issued as a Chief Executive letter to all Health Boards, and called also for improvement in the training and support of all NHS staff whose work brings them into contact with dying patients and bereaved relatives and carers. The CEL stresses that such support should be available on an equitable basis across all NHS Boards and should be offered regardless of the nature of the illness which lead to the death. You can read the whole report and guidance at: http://www.sehd.scot.nhs.uk/mels/cel2011_09.pdf.
The Guidance was developed over a two year period by a multi-disciplinary working group led by John Birrell, Bereavement Services Co-ordinator at NHS Tayside, during a secondment to the Patient Support and Participation Division in the Chief Nursing Officer Directorate.
With a preface by Shona Robison MSP, Minister for Public Health and Sport, who had called for the guidance at the First National Conference on Bereavement in a Health Care Setting, held in Dundee in September 2008, "Shaping Bereavement Care" builds on a 2005-06 study of bereavement in Scotland, commissioned by the Scottish Executive Health Department, NHS Quality Improvement Scotland and NHS Education for Scotland, which was conducted by the Joanna Briggs Institute at the Robert Gordon University. The report of that study can be viewed at : http://www.rgu.ac.uk/nursing/research/page.cfm?pge=41757.
"Shaping Bereavment Care" stresses that good practice in bereavement care starts with the care of the dying patient, and depends on the provision of evidence based training and support for staff to enable them to support relatives and carers at the time of, and following, the death of the patient.
Health Boards in Scotland are required to develop a co-ordinated approach to bereavement care and to implement the recommendations of "Shaping Bereavement Care" by May 2012.
"The added stress was about simple things .... like where was the picture his youngest grandchild hd given him the day before ........"
Enquiries about Shaping Bereavement Care should be addressed to: francis.santos@scotland.gsi.gov.uk
A website has been set up for those who are professionally involved in the delivery of Shaping Bereavement Care. Access is restricted to those who have registered. http://www.knowledge.scot.nhs.uk/bereavement. Enquiries should be addressed to john.birrell@nhs.net