Job responsibilities
Family liaison:
To manage and provide expertise, knowledge and
co-coordinate a sensitive and sympathetic service for bereaved families/next of
kin and to ensure the correct practices are followed, working closely with the
Medical Examiner Service.
To maintain and protect patient and family confidentiality
as per Trust policy.
Dealing with bereaved families including support, and
signposting to counselling services as required. Receive/deal with complex,
highly emotional situations. This includes distressing and demanding situations
where family members may be deeply distressed, and grieving. Patients / members of the public / bereaved
are to be dealt with in a calm and supportive manner.
Act as a focal point for progress with the Medical Cause
of Death Certificate
Key link person between wards, medical examiner service, families
of the deceased and mortuary; liaison role.
Responsible for the day to day running of the bereavement
service and be able to confidently resolve any issues arising in order to
prevent any delays for families. Listening to concerns raised by families and
arranging meetings with medical staff where appropriate, working in parallel
with the Medical Examiner Service.
Ensure that all possessions of the deceased are ready for
collection at the time of relatives appointment liaising with the wards and
families. Arrange if requested by the family the disposal of any unwanted
property with the ward. Inform relatives of process for collection of property.
Co-ordinate an appointment system for bereaved relatives
to return to the hospital in order to collect all appropriate paperwork and
belongings relating to the deceased
Ensure adequate supply of bereavement packs are on site, and
provided to the wards
Administration:
Ensure accurate and full completion of all paperwork
relating to the deceased.
Complete all electronic documentation.
Arrange and attend a meeting with the bereaved to discuss
process and provide support, where required
Mortuary department:
Assist in maintaining adequate capacity in the mortuary by
ensuring all paperwork is completed promptly, ensuring all stakeholders are
appraised
Update mortuary when deceased referred to coroner and when
families inform us about their choice of funeral director and whether burial or
cremation
Liaise with mortuary and pathology staff, making
arrangements when a request is made to view the deceased patient.
As needed accompany a bereaved family when visiting their
loved one in the mortuary.
Trust relationships:
Support for new staff including medical staff in regards
to familiarity with bereavement management process.
Training and education for completion of electronic and
paper documentation.
Liaising with clinical staff in relation to relevant
paperwork in relation to the deceased
To liaise with the Doctors and Medical Examiner checking
paperwork, requiring high attention to detail
Liaise with the Finance Department to ensure that any
money/property of the deceased patient is dealt with efficiently and
sensitively. To include management of hospital funerals
Attend Emergency Department/ward when family are already
with the deceased and wanting immediate support/advice (where possible)
Act as liaison for any relatives that wish to speak to the
trust chaplaincy team
To act as a point of contact and advisor to wards /
departments on the procedure for those patients dying in hospital without
relatives. Responsible for following
Trust process in relation to deceased's personal effects, where applicable.
Provide information to respond to complaints, where
required
Work closely with the Medical Examiner Service, providing
support as required
Coroner relationship:
Act as the link between the Coroner service and Trust
medical staff making referrals.
Ensure all referrals to coroner are completed on the New
Coroner Portal, ensuring all medical staff and new staff are aware and trained
on the use of portal and how to login.
Develop and maintain good working relationships with the
Coroner & his officers to ensure appropriate information flow between the
two organisations.
Registrar relationship:
Liaise with the Registrar in order to book appointments
for relatives to register death.
Maintain a good working relationship to ensure continuity
of updated information and changes in regulations to the law are adhered to.
Provide information to the coroner based upon current
requirements and legislation
Funeral Director relationship:
Other external agencies:
Liaise with appropriate university / ward / mortuary when
relatives/other request that a body be donated to medical science
Liaise with local funeral directors, as required
Inform all necessary individuals of the patients death,
where appropriate and relevant to do so e.g. GP/community staff, other medical
teams previously involved with the patients care.
Have an understanding of local availability of Counselling
services and act as liaison when such services are requested.
Attend and contribute to the multi-disciplinary meeting on
behalf of the Trust to continuously improve the end of life journey
Contract and hospital funerals:
Ascertain when a contract funeral is required and make
necessary arrangements in relation to trust policy.
Organise tracing of relatives / significant other, in line
with Trust policy
Responsible for all legal paperwork / administration with
regards to arranging and executing a contract funeral. Meet with families to
obtain the correct documents/complete necessary checks. Approval of Funeral
Directors invoices before passing for payment.
Generate and maintain systems for storing easily
accessible information regarding individual contract funerals to ensure that
information can be retrieved as and when required.
Accreditation:
Understand & be aware of the Human Tissue Authority
(HTA) codes of practice for Consent, Post Mortem & disposal of tissue.
Assist clinical staff to obtain consent for hospital post
mortem using appropriate documentation, to meet HTA requirements.
Inform families/relatives of the potential need to take
tissue samples/organs as part of the post mortem & their rights, under the
HTA licence, on how the tissue/organ can be processed following the conclusion
of the post mortem findings.
As part of the End of Life Team work with CQC during
assessment periods.
Training and education:
Responsible for ensuring all information relating to the
bereavement service is up to date on the Trust intranet and information
booklets.
Update Bereavement booklet as required and arrange print
runs with printing company. Distribute booklet to wards to give to relatives.
Promote the Bereavement service within the organisation
and to external bodies.
Attend Trust wide and external events to present the
service.
Support management with the recruitment and selection
process for new staff within the Bereavement and mortuary team and be proactive
in developing the service.
Attend training on how to obtain consent following HTA
standards.
Deliver training of new Bereavement staff.
Deliver bereavement support training to mortuary staff.
To participate in education and support programmes in
relation to bereavement care.
Implement changes required with organisations due to
changes in practice and law. Update mortuary staff, Doctors and Ward staff of
these changes.
To attend all mandatory training
as required by Trust policy.
Interviews to be held on Friday 18th July 2025.
