Bereavement Officer inHarrogate inHarrogate PUBLISHED TUE 14 JAN 2025

The Bereavement Officer will provide a service to friends or relatives of deceased patients. This includes offering information and advice on procedural matters relating to death notification, funeral arrangements and the release of patients’ personal property. The role of Bereavement Officer requires the post-holder to exercise tact and diplomacy, sensitivity, and the ability to listen. It also involves a considerable degree of independent judgement and initiative in liaising with a variety of services, as may be appropriate, on related matters.

The post holder will be expected to work with all grades of medical, nursing and administration staff to coordinate the smooth running of the bereavement function in accordance with national and hospital guidelines for the care of the bereaved, the medical certification of deceased patients and preparations for Inquest hearings.

The post holder will receive direction, but will be expected to manage a workload, determine priorities, achieve deadlines and identify future tasks and work needs.

Job Responsibilities

• Be the first point of contact for bereaved families and coordinate the bereavement function throughout the Trust.
• Work with colleagues on wards and departments to co-ordinate the collection of the deceased’s belongings.
• Work with colleagues in the Mortuary team to arrange viewings for families of deceased patients.
• Coordinate the initial referral to the Coroner by the Parent Medical team in a timely manner
• Assist the Legal Services Team in managing coroner requests for information, statements and preparing for Inquest hearings.
• In line with processes, support the bereaved in raising and documenting their concerns and complaints, initiating the complaints handling process and assisting in their administration in conjunction with the Patient Experience Team.
• Link closely with the Patient Experience Team and Palliative Care Teams to analyse common concerns arising from people who are bereaved and identify their core needs.
• Regularly attend Wards and Departments to ensure that supplies of relevant documentation is in good supply and available when needed. May also be required to collect and deliver patient records to support the referral to the Coroner.
• Liaise with external partners; HM Coroners, Funeral Directors, Local Authorities and Registration services.
  
  

Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust (HDFT) cares for the population in Harrogate and the local area, as well as across North Yorkshire, Leeds and parts of the North East.

At HDFT we provide outstanding care to both our patients and our staff and we value Kindness, Integrity, Teamwork and Equality. If you’re looking for an interesting and rewarding career in the NHS, where you can make a real difference to patients’ lives, HDFT could be the place for you!

We Offer Colleagues

• A supportive culture so colleagues can bring their whole selves to work.
• Staff Recognition - as well as regular appraisals, we recognise achievements with our Making a Difference & Team of the Month Awards, along with annual Colleague Recognition Awards.
• Employee Support and wellbeing – we offer a wide range of staff benefits including an Employee Assistance Programme, counselling service and a fast-track Physiotherapy service.
  
  

Please Note

• Due to high levels of interest, posts may close early if we reach a sufficient number of applications
• Visa sponsorship is only available for certain roles. Please ensure the role you are interested in meets the criteria for a visa before submitting your application.
• Please also be aware that the Trust does not offer relocation packages for Agenda for Change roles.
  
  

For further details / informal visits contact: Name: Yasser Hussain Job title: Legal Services and Risk Manager Email address: Telephone number: