The charities, Sue Ryder, Hospice UK, Marie Curie, the National Bereavement Alliance and Together for Short Lives are among those leading calls for the UK Government to commit to prioritising end-of-life care and bereavement support.
Bereavement notification services NotifyNOW and Settld – which are both owned by The Estate Registry – have signed an open letter to the new government calling for additional investment to help those nearing end-of-life, and their carers, as well as those handling the death of a loved one.
The letter calls on the new administration to:
- Increase the funding provided to hospices and palliative and end-of-life care services
- Introduce a national plan to improve how palliative and end-of-life care is delivered
- Make sure that palliative and end-of-life care services meet everyone’s needs, including those of people dying at home
- Make sure that nobody dies in poverty and tackle inequalities in palliative and end-of-life care
- Improve support for families and carers of people with a terminal illness, including improving bereavement support.
When someone dies, it is estimated that their death can affect nine people. Over 650,000 people died in the UK in 2022, meaning millions of people across the UK are impacted by bereavement every year.
Many bereaved people do not get the support they need, risking more severe impacts to their mental health and physical wellbeing. Sue Ryder (2022) research found that 70% of people were unable to access the support they would have wanted after someone close to them died.
Luke Cheadle, Head of UK Operations for The Estate Registry, said: “We hear all the time from those using our Settld and NotifyNOW services just how difficult, stressful and traumatic it can be for those dealing with a loved one who is dying or who has died, and to be able to get the necessary treatment and bereavement support.
“Sue Ryder’s campaign has our full backing. The financial costs, the emotional costs and the administrative stresses are huge for people dealing with death nowadays.
“The UK Commission on Bereavement revealed that two thirds of people dealing with a death also have difficulties with at least one practical or administrative task following a bereavement. Digital innovation has a key role to play in future in reducing these difficulties and unnecessary costs, and we would urge the government to go down this route.”
NotifyNOW and award-winning Settld both use technology to reduce the stress and amount of time involved in notifying multiple service providers following a death, and help to reduce the costs involved.
