A follow-up bereavement service: ‘completing the patient pathway’

Abstract

AbstractThe article describes an initiative, The Bereavement Care Follow up Service (BCFS) in Cambridge University Hospitals (CUH) NHS Trust which offers brief intervention and support for relatives following the death of a loved one in hospital. The service includes sending a letter of condolence, and offering an opportunity to talk to a member of the team involved in the care of their relative. It presents its historical context, its pertinence to grief theory and practice and gives a description and evaluation of the service. The service provides an alternative, less problem-centred pathway to the standard route for those with problems relating to the hospital and gives relatives the opportunity to voice concerns, and to seek information and answers from those best equipped to meet them (experts in clinical and bereavement care). Reported satisfaction with the service is high, both among relatives and staff.