Our impact: What matters most when grieving?
In 2021, collaborating with Kingston Voluntary Action, we engaged 348 people and 59 NHS and other health and social care professionals, to explore the lived experience of people accessing bereavement services and support in Kingston, particularly the intersection with culture, faith, and life philosophies.
You highlighted anyone experiencing a terminal illness (including their families, friends, and other carers), need practical and emotional bereavement support and diverse and culturally appropriate, accessible information to assist in making pre-death funeral arrangements.
40% of respondents to the public online survey stated that they were carers. The support that carers need is not always recognised. They not only lose the person they cared for, but a significant role in their own life.
What did you tell us about bereavement services and support?
- Bereavement services should be offered through a range of individuals and providers, including those in the NHS, charity and voluntary organisations, through communities and other peer-led organisations, and in some circumstances, legal and corporate services.
- There was much to be done to improve bereavement services and support to meet cultural needs, and that improving access to relevant, helpful information is crucial.
- GPs and hospital services need to know what is available locally and have up-to-date information to support their communities.
What difference did this make?
- In response to our Bereavement report recommendations, Kingston Hospital have recruited a Bereavement Support Practitioner. The role is funded for an 18-month period and will include provision of pre-bereavement support to families and staff.
- Our collaborative community engagement work was recognised as a quality exemplar by NHS England and NHS Improvement at the 2022 ‘Getting to Outstanding’ event.
- Partners have created an information hub on Connected Kingston where information about bereavement services and support in Kingston can be found and maintained. We have also established our All about: Bereavement, faith and spirituality website page.
- We were invited to submit our Kingston work as a case study to the ‘Equitable bereavement care for all’ research teams at Kings College London and the University of Bristol who were commissioned by the Government to inform national policy.
- Healthwatch Kingston and Kingston Voluntary Action have secured additional South West London Integrated Care Board funding to coordinate and report on the south west London engagement roll-out to address the gaps we identified from our Kingston work.
- Healthwatch Kingston secured funding from Kingston Council to create a bereavement film by and for young people that provides signposting to services and support.
