New bereavement suite helps people at a time of greatest loss

Paul Jeeves

GRIEVING relatives and friends who have lost a loved one at a Yorkshire hospital are being given additional support through a 365,000 scheme unveiled yesterday.

A new bereavement suite was officially opened at York Hospital to allow the family and friends of patients who have passed away receive counselling as they attempt to come to terms with their loss. The new suite provides a central, dedicated service in the hospital for the bereaved and their families, with a waiting area, counselling room and a courtyard garden providing a quiet and meditative space in which to grieve.

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Chairman of the York Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust Alan Rose said: “We are delighted that the hospital can now offer a dignified and peaceful environment in which the bereaved can rest and complete the important tasks necessary at such a challenging time.”

The final designs reflect views gathered through a widespread consultation with people who have experienced the hospital’s bereavement services, including foundation trust members.

The scheme received funding from The King’s Fund and the trust’s capital programme plus a series of charitable sources, including the Friends of York Hospitals, York Against Cancer and York Round Table.

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