This week (Monday 10 May to Sunday 16 May) is Dying Matters Week - a chance for us to come together to open up the conversation around dying, death and bereavement.

This year, the week will focus on the importance of being in a good place to die. 

Where people die is changing. More people than ever before are dying at home and the pandemic has accelerated this trend. In 2020, 28% of people in the UK died at home.

With gaps in support structures for people when they die, and for those that are left behind, people are dying without being in the right place. Often, people don’t feel prepared and they haven’t fulfilled their wishes or communicated them to loved ones.

We want to raise the profile of the care that does exist and the benefit that it gives to dying people and their families. We want to raise our voices to highlight what needs to change for people at the end of life.

We’re also proud to announce the launch of our Daisy Volunteers in collaboration with Marie Curie. These volunteers will enhance the work that our chaplaincy and palliative care services provide for patients who are in the last days of their life.

The Daisy volunteers will provide companionship and support to patients and their families/carers and give respite so that they can have the knowledge that their love one isn’t being left alone.

Amongst other services, the volunteers will be able to facilitate video calls keeping relatives connected when they cannot be present.

Heather Wright, our Palliative and End of Life Care Lead, introduces the Daisy Volunteers:

We are piloting the new volunteer service on wards Clementine A and B, and Fern and Gentian before we roll out to the whole Trust. For more information or to request a daisy volunteer please email: bhrut.daisyvolunteer@nhs.net

We’ll be sharing more on what our teams are doing for Dying Matters throughout the week. Make sure to follow our Twitter @BHRUT_NHS to keep in the loop.