Changes to our Adult Bereavement services - March 2024
In 2020 we changed our adult bereavement service so that everyone in our community could get one-to-one bereavement support if they needed it. We recognised that the Covid 19 pandemic was having an extra impact on those who were grieving at that time; lockdown, social distancing, and the difficulty of attending funerals meant that the need for bereavement support in our community was greater than ever. The change in services was made quickly, in response to urgent need and without any additional funding.
The increase in demand since 2020 has been significant and the complexity of bereavement has continued to evolve. Therefore, we have had to review our capacity to continue to provide this service. We have taken the decision that, from 27th March 2024, we will be offering our one-to-one bereavement counselling service only to those who have been affected by the death of someone who was cared for by St Wilfrid’s Hospice.
We would like to reassure anybody who is currently using the bereavement service that there will be no changes to the support they are receiving. This has been a difficult decision to make, but it has been made so that we can continue to offer a safe, effective service to patients and their friends, carers and families
Although we will no longer be able to provide one-to-one counselling, we will continue to offer other resources for those who are grieving the death of someone not cared for by St Wilfrid’s Hospice. Lights of Love events offer opportunities to come together and remember those we love who have died. Tea at Three is a monthly support group held at the hospice that is open to all. We continue to offer Bereavement Help Points to all in various locations in the community as a safe informal space to talk about your bereavement experience.
There is practical advice about what to do when someone has died, information along with booklets and information about living with grief, available on our bereavement pages. You can also find information about where else to access one-to-one emotional support by clicking here.
Questions and answers
Does this affect children’s bereavement services / the Seahorse Project?
No, the Seahorse Project will continue to offer bereavement support to any child or young person aged 6-18 in our catchment area who has been bereaved.
I have already self-referred, will I still get support?
Yes, if you referred yourself for adult bereavement support before 27th March you will still be offered counselling support if you meet the criteria.
I have been referred by someone else, will I still get support?
If we received the referral before 27th March, you will still be offered counselling support if you meet the criteria.
If we haven’t yet received the referral, or it arrived after 27th March, we won’t be able to offer you one-to-one counselling support. If you would like to check on the status of your referral, please contact 01323 434294.
I am a healthcare professional who has referred a patient, will they still get support?
If we received the referral before 27th March, they will still be offered counselling support if they meet the criteria.
If we haven’t yet received the referral, or it arrived after 27th March, we won’t be able to offer one-to-one counselling support. If you would like to check on the status of your referral, please contact 01323 434294.
My loved one wasn’t cared for by the hospice, is there any help available?
For those who are grieving the death of someone not cared for by St Wilfrid’s Hospice, we will continue to offer other resources. Lights of Love events offer opportunities to come together and remember those we love who have died. Tea at Three is a monthly bereavement support group held at the hospice that is open to all. We continue to offer Bereavement Help Points to all in various locations in the community as a safe informal space to talk about your bereavement experience.
There is practical advice about what to do when someone has died, information on crisis services and with booklets and information about living with grief available on our bereavement pages. You can also find information about where else to access one-to-one emotional support by clicking here.
When someone dies, their family and friends often like to pay tribute to their lives. There are a number of ways to remember a loved one with St Wilfrid’s, whether or not they were cared for by us. These can be found on our In Memory of pages
