The Bereavement Service is available to offer advice and information to relatives and friends of patients who have died in one of our hospitals and to help guide them through some practical aspects following a death.
Please contact the Bereavement Office on 01274 364477 between 10.00 and 11.00 on the next working day after the person has died. The Bereavement Team will take some details from you and explain what happens next.
There are three things you need to do in the first few days after someone dies in hospital:
Contact the Bereavement Office on 01274 364477 between 10.00 and 11.00 on the next working day after the person has died.
The Bereavement Team will take some details from you and explain what happens next. A Medical member of staff will complete a medical cause of death certificate (MCCD) to enable the death registration to be arranged. If your relative’s death needs to be referred to the Coroner’s Office the reason for this will be explained to you.
The MCCD will be reviewed by the Medical Examiner Team. A Medical Examiner Officer will make contact with via phone to explain what’s been added to the MCCD. At the end of the call the MCCD will be electronically sent to the Bradford Council Registrars in order for an appointment to be made to register the death.
When the medical certificate of cause of death (MCCD) has been completed, it will be sent electronically to Bradford Register Office and you will be advised to contact the Register Office on 01274 432151 to book a face to face registration appointment. At this appointment you will be able to purchase any copies of medical certificates you may need at a price of £11 each.
You may contact a funeral director as soon as you feel ready to do so however a funeral can only take place once the death has been registered.
To compare prices of funeral directors in your area and for free independent advice about funerals you can visit Your Funeral Choice.
If you would like advice regarding the possibility of applying for a Funeral Expenses Payment, this information please browse the Government website.
Bradford City Council no longer charges for a burial or cremation of a child under the age of 18. Information regarding the Children’s Funeral Fund for England can be found on the Government website.
The Bereavement Team can arrange for you to pick up any property or valuables your relative or friend had in the hospital. If there is property you do not wish to be returned, the hospital can arrange to sensitively dispose of this. Please contact the Bereavement Office on 01274 364477 if you would like to make an appointment to collect property. The Bereavement Office opens Monday to Friday 8am-4pm.
The Trust provides a ‘Coping with your Bereavement’ booklet which gives help, advice and useful information
Some deaths are referred to the HM Coroner. Examples of reasons to refer are:
If this has been decided you will be informed by the medical member of staff who has made the referral or the Bereavement Service. Your preferred contact details will be added to the completed referral and the Coroner’s Office will contact you to explain their process and discuss what happens next.
When a death has been referred to HM Coroner the hospital is unable to act until we have been informed of what action HM Corner has decided to take.
This is an independent service provided in England and Wales to review all deaths that are not reported to the Coroner, to improve the quality of the information on death certificates and ensure bereaved families are at the centre of the process.
Medical Examiners (MEs) are senior NHS doctors and GPs who have chosen to carry out specialist training. They spend some of their time working as MEs.
MEs look at the relevant medical records of people who have died to understand the circumstances around the cause of death. They talk to the doctor who cared for them and will be filling in the certificate with the cause(s) of death.
They and their staff (Medical Examiner Officers) are independent. They will only look at cases where they, or their staff, have not been involved in caring for the patient.
MEs and their staff speak to families/ carers of the person who has died to talk about the cause (s) of death. They can explain the medical language and make it easier to understand. They also give them the chance to ask questions, talk about any concerns they have about the cause (s) of death or the care the person received before their death.
If there are parts of the care that could have been better, this information will be passed on to the service involved.
The Medical Examiner service will:
You can read more about the Medical Examiner service on the internet:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/establishing-medical-examiner-system-nhs/
Bradford Royal Infirmary Bereavement Office
Contact number: 01274 364477
Open Monday to Friday (expect Bank Holidays) 0800-1600
Email: Bereavement@bthft.nhs.uk
Bradford Register Office
City Hall
Centenary Square Bradford
BD1 1HY
Contact number: 01274 432151
Monday to Friday 0900-1630
HM Coroners
Contact Number: 01274 438800
Bradford Council website has links that may help with Bereavement Support – Bereavement advice | Bradford Council
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