Update on the role of doctors after a death at home

The Bereavement team supports family members, friends, children and carers through the emotional impact of grief. The support is available to anyone who has experienced the death of a loved one who was cared for by the Hospice. 

The Bereavement team offer support specifically for children and guidance to parents on how to explain death and grief to children.

The Bereavement Support Team offers confidential, individual support to help cope with the loss of family or loved ones. The support is available to anyone who has experienced the death or affected by the death of a loved one  who was cared for by St Lukes. 

Bereft Bereavement Support was set up in 1999 to fill the need for specialist bereavement counselling and support for the adult residents (the over 16s) of the London Borough of Ealing.

Bereavement counselling can help you explore your feelings and come to terms with your grief by talking one to one with a trained counsellor. During these sessions you can talk about how you feel and your counsellor will listen and comment, rather than giving you advice.

BBS has a team of highly skilled, professional and supervised volunteer counsellors who reflect the many different cultures of the population of Brent, and speak a variety of languages.

They provide counselling, advice, information & training for bereaved people, their families, friends and our community in the London Borough of Brent.

The Child and Adolescent Bereavement Service (CABS) run by Harlington Hospice provides support for children and young people aged between the ages of 4-17 and their families/ carers who live in Hillingdon and who have been bereaved or who have a loved one with a life-limiting diagnosis. 

Referrals are accepted via email from schools, healthcare professionals, parents/ carers and young people over 16. 

CABS offers 1:1 counselling, group sessions and family sessions.

The Child Bereavement Service is a free service provided by a specialist social work team with a long track record of providing practical and emotional support to individuals and families before and after a bereavement.

Offer a telephone support service for bereaved young people up to age 25, their families/ carers or individuals or families who have lost a child. 

Child Death Helpline is operated by a dedicated team of volunteers who are all bereaved parents. The helpline provides support to a parent who has lost a child of any age, under any circumstances, and however recently or long ago, we’re here to help. They also offer support to grandparents, siblings and the extended family, as well as professionals who have been impacted by the death of a child.

CRUSE Bereavement care helps people through bereavement with support, information and campaigning.

There is a legal requirement that a death be registered within five working days. It is important to let the Register Office know if the funeral is to be held within 24 hours. The person registering the death must be able to provide some basic details of the person who has died. Please take the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death to the Register Office. It is also helpful to take the person’s birth and marriage certificates, passport or NHS Medical Card, although they are not essential.

Use the web link above to find your local register office by entering your postcode.

Grief Encounter is a national charity offering a free helpline and online support for children and young people wishing to access bereavement support.

They also offers counselling support in classrooms, online or at their premises in North London. A referral form is available on their website.

Halo is a new charity in Hillingdon supporting bereaved children, young people and their families. They hold a monthly drop-in support group in Uxbridge, offer peer support, a bereavement book library, counselling and much more. A referral form is available on their website.

Harlington Hospice Bereavement Service offers counselling to any adults who have experienced a bereavement.

Hillingdon Palliative Care Team (hosted by NHS CNWL) provides specialist advice and visiting to palliative care patients living in Hillingdon. Each GP practice has their own named Clinical Nurse Specialist ( CNS ). A Triage CNS manages calls and referrals each day and they have the option to escalate to consultants if needed.

They can be contacted Monday to Friday 8.00am to 4.30pm excluding bank holidays.

Out of hours phone Michael Sobell Hospice 24 hour Advice Line on 020 3824 1268

Referral form for clinician use only.

Jewish Bereavement Counselling Service has counsellors that understand the specific issues raised by bereavement within a Jewish context. This service is sensitive, aware and knowledgeable about social, cultural and religious needs.

The Kensington and Chelsea Branch of CRUSE provides local support by counselling to those who have been bereaved, living in Kensington, Chelsea, Hammersmith and Fulham

The Lullaby Trust raises awareness of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), provides expert advice on safer sleep for babies and offers emotional support for bereaved families.

Meadow House Hospice provides inpatient palliative care services to the residents of Ealing.

The hospice has a 15 bedded inpatient unit supported by a team of dedicated staff providing 24/7 specialist support to patients and their family members. Patients with a progressive life limiting illness can be admitted for symptom management or end of life care.

Patients have a safe, dignified space of their own and the flexibility to spend time alone or in company, surrounded by their possessions and the people they care about. The hospice also has an extensive garden area that provides a quiet and reflective environment for both patients and family members.

Please contact the hospice Monday to Friday 8.30am to 4.30pm and during the weekend 9.00am to 5.00pm on 0208 242 5817.

There is a 24 hour telephone support line to the hospice ward on 0208 967 5597.

Bereavement services to support family members, friends and carers connected to a loved one who was cared for by the Hospice, can be contacted via main switchboard.  

Referral form for clinician use only.

The Muslim Bereavement Support Service supports Muslim women who are facing bereavement and/or are bereaved. They will speak with Muslim men and signpost them to appropriate bereavement support. 

Stillbirth and neonatal death (Sands) is the leading stillbirth and neonatal death charity in the UK. They ensure that anyone affected by the death of a baby receives the best possible care and support for as long as they need it. 

Sands provides bereavement support services both nationally through its Freephone helpline, mobile app, online community and resources, and locally through a UK-wide network of around 100 regional support groups. 

Survivors of Bereavement by Suicide are a national charity providing dedicated support to adults who have been bereaved by suicide. The volunteers come from all walks of life but nearly all have been touched by suicide themselves, this experience enables them to connect with others.

The Compassionate Friends (TCF) is a charitable organisation of bereaved parents, siblings and grandparents dedicated to the support and care of other similarly bereaved family members who have suffered the death of a child or children of any age and from any cause.

Get support using the telephone helpline or online support groups.

The Good Grief Trust helps all those affected by grief in the UK and brings bereavement services together, to ensure that everyone receives the tailored support they need to move forward with their lives.

The trust is run by the bereaved, for the bereaved and aim to normalise grief and raise awareness of the impact of grief on a national platform. 

Widowed and young (WAY) is a UK charity that offers a peer-to-peer support network for anyone who's lost a partner before their 51st birthday – married or not, with or without children, inclusive of sexual orientation, gender, race and religion.

Winston's Wish is a national charity offering a free helpline and online support for children and young people wishing to access bereavement support.

They also provide resources and further training for schools and healthcare professions.

Young Minds is a national charity which supports both young people, their parents and loved ones through loss.