Bereavement Services Officer

The team works closely with clinical and non-clinical staff, both internally and externally, to provide an efficient and compassionate service to the bereaved after the death of a patient. In particular the team facilitates the completion of necessary documentation to allow registration and organisation of funerals., To be a source of expert advice and support to medical and managerial staff on the administrative procedures following death, for example to ensure that all Medical Certificates of Cause of Death are completed correctly to prevent added distress to the relatives.
To coordinate the completion of Cremation Certificates and any other supplementary documentation required after the death of a patient, troubleshooting when necessary.
To be conversant with the types of deaths required by law to be reported to the Coroner's Office.
To provide detailed information for the bereaved relatives on the practical procedures involved with death registration and to advise on the availability of community support where necessary.
To advise the next-of-kin on the process and legal requirements for repatriation of the deceased.
To offer advice and information for funeral arrangements as appropriate.
To ensure that all deceased patients' details are recorded on the Eden database, including community and Emergency Department deaths.
To use discernment in recognising the needs of newly bereaved people, so that support in terms of counselling or other help may be made available, either inside the hospital or by referral to other organisations.
To be conversant with the types of deaths required by law to be reported to the Coroner's Office.
To work closely with the local Coroner's officers in providing information and documentation for cases referred to the Coroner, liaising with clinicians where necessary.
To be conversant with the necessary documentation and policies to release bodies from the Mortuary to the funeral directors.
To ensure that general practitioners and any outside agency involved with the patient's care is informed of the death as soon as possible, including the production of standard letters.
To update files and hospital system in relation to patient's death.
To accurately record details of the person collecting the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death ensuring that their next-of-kin status is in accordance with hospital policy.
To process all cash and valuables placed in safe custody, liaising with Finance to ensure the return of monies following discharge or death.
To facilitate hospital procedures for arranging funerals for adults where no relatives have been identified.
To support the arrangement of funeral services for pregnancy losses, stillbirths and neonatal deaths.
To ensure that all duties described above are carried out in accordance with office procedures and in a timely and efficient manner.

Working in a busy unpredictable environment, you will require excellent customer service, communication and organisational skills and be computer literate.
You must be able to work independently and also flourish in a team.
You will work closely with relatives of deceased patients, a wide range of healthcare professionals and external stakeholders.
You must be able to respond appropriately and sensitively to a diverse group at a difficult time in their lives and be capable of working with competing demands in a calm and professional manner.
You will be able to deliver information in a clear and precise way.
We are looking for an individual that is keen to learn and play a vital role in developing and improving the service we provide to colleagues and to the bereaved. Working within a supportive team, this is a challenging, but rewarding post.

Working for our organisation
St George's, Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals and Health Group is a new hospital group, comprising St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (SGUH) and Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust, which includes Sutton Health and Care and Surrey Downs Health and Care.
Sharing a single Chairman, Chief Executive and Executive team, the GESH Group is one of the largest healthcare providers in the country, with a combined annual turnover of around £1.5 billion, 16,000 staff, and serving a population of approximately 3.5 million people across South West London, Surrey, Sussex and beyond.
The GESH Group provides a full range of local hospital services across its sites at St George's Hospital in Tooting, Queen Mary Hospital in Roehampton, Epsom Hospital and St Helier Hospital, and provides a range of specialist services from St George's.