Date: 05 September 2007 17:37

NEW SERVICE EASES THE PAIN OF BEREAVEMENT

Cambridgeshire County Council and Patient Services at Addenbrooke's Hospital 
have joined forces to introduce a new service that will ease the process for 
people who have lost a loved one.

Those who have a family member die at the hospital are now able to register 
the death on site, at the same time as they visit Addenbrooke's bereavement 
team to collect the medical certificate of cause of death.

The combined service is designed to speed up the process of dealing with the 
legal requirements of registering a death. Previously, the bereaved would 
have had to make an appointment at the Cambridge Register Office, on the 
other side of Cambridge.

Under the new arrangement, an appointment can be made for the bereaved to 
see both Patient Services and the Registrar at the hospital in a single 
visit to the hospital.

The service started on August 1 and since then the majority of the adult 
deaths at the hospital have been registered on site.

County Council Head of Registration and Coroners Service, Jim Milne, said: 
"Feedback has been very positive, with all families saying how glad they are 
to have the service available on site at Addenbrooke's
Hospital.

"This type of partnership working is a good example of public services 
working together to improve customer service, and we are delighted that 
users have found it of value."

Susan Wood, Head of Patient Services at Addenbrooke's, added: "We're very 
pleased to be able to do something which makes things easier for bereaved 
families at a difficult time. The scheme is a pilot at the moment, but all 
the indications are that it's working very well and we expect to develop it 
and make it a routine service later this year."

John Reynolds