Bereavement
Bereavement is an experience that can happen to any of us. If you are visiting this section of the website because someone close to you has died recently, we would like to offer you our condolences.
If you would like support at this difficult time, please use our resources below, which we hope will provide you with information, help and guidance.
Bereaved NI provides a range of accessible resources for people who are experiencing bereavement, to ensure that they have the required information and support for each stage of their bereavement journey. There is information relating to palliative care, pregnancy and baby loss, resources for children and young people, information for people who have been bereaved by suicide and those who have suffered a sudden or traumatic loss, as well as practical support including financial and legal advice.
Telephone helpline support is available through:
- Cruse bereavement helpline – 0808 808 1677
- Lifeline – 0808 808 8000
If you, or someone you know, is in distress or despair, no matter what your age or where you live in Northern Ireland, Lifeline is there to help you. Lifeline counsellors are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to listen and give you the help and support you need, in confidence. Calls are free from all UK landlines and mobiles.
Care Opinion
The Northern Trust welcomes service user feedback to enhance care provided. If you have a compliment, suggestion or complaint about your experience, please telephone 028 9442 4655, or email user.feedback@northerntrust.hscni.net.
Care Opinion is the online patient feedback platform for health and social care services across Northern Ireland. It offers you the opportunity to share your experience of Health and Social Care services and to feedback on what went well or when things could have gone better. You can share your story by visiting
- Visiting careopinion.org.uk
- Calling the Care Opinion Freephone number on 0800 122 3135
- Completing a feedback form, which can be requested by calling 028 2766 1377
Things you can do which may help
As well as the supports that we would normally draw upon when we experience grief, there are other things that you can do which may be of help, which include:
- Allowing yourself to feel and react in a way that is natural to you. Grief is an individual experience and each of us will respond to it in our own particular way.
- Try not to become emotionally isolated. If people cannot visit you in person, they will be able to offer their condolences and support in different ways. You may receive condolence cards, phone-calls, text messages, emails and messages through social media.
- Keep conversations going with people who are closest to you. It may be helpful to talk to someone by telephone each day.
- Having ‘conversations’ through WhatsApp or through Facebook can mean there is a regular flow of communication throughout the day. These interactions can remind you that people are thinking about you.
- Try to stick to your normal routine as much as possible. As well as bedtime and getting up time, mealtimes play an important part in this.
- It is important to remember to eat and to keep hydrated. Your body has needs and grief can be hard work.
- If there are children in your household, check in with them often. Answer their questions honestly. Section 5 of our bereavement booklet provides useful information regarding supporting children.
Make use of reputable sources of online bereavement support such as:
- Cruse Bereavement Care National Free Phone Helpline 0808 808 1677
- Monday – Friday 9:30pm – 5:00pm (excluding bank holidays)
Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday extended hours on evenings, until 8:00pm
- Monday – Friday 9:30pm – 5:00pm (excluding bank holidays)
- GriefChat – A safe online space for grieving or bereaved people to be able to share their story, explore their feelings or be supported by a qualified bereavement counsellor.
- Monday – Friday 9:00am – 9:00pm (UK time)
Resources you may find useful during this difficult time
- Supporting you and your family when your child has died (Grief and Bereavement)
- Supporting you and your family when your child has died (Practical Information)
- Body donation for anatomical examination (Information booklet)
- Publications | HSC Public Health Agency (hscni.net)Grief booklets – Cruse Bereavement SupportChildren, young people and grief – Cruse Bereavement Support
- Bereavement support after meningitis | Meningitis Now
- Bereavement Support: WAY Widowed and Young
- Video Support Resources for bereaved young people.
- Schools Bereavement Programme (mariecurie.org.uk) advice from Marie Curie, recognising that teachers have a crucial role to play in supporting children and young people affected by grief.
- Supporting someone with cancer | Macmillan Cancer Support.
When Someone Dies – information, guidance and support for family and friends
When Someone Dies is a booklet produced by Bereaved NI which contains information on the practical matters which may be useful in the days following your loved one’s death. Helpful information on living with grief and bereavement is included along with details of organisations’ offering support.
- When someone dies (English)
- When someone dies (Arabic)
- When someone dies (Chinese)
- When someone dies (Lithuanian)
- When someone dies (Polish)
- When someone dies (Portuguese)
- When someone dies (Slovak)
- When someone dies (Bulgarian)
- When someone dies (Romanian)
Remembrance services
There is an annual ‘Snowdrop Walk’ on the third Sunday in February each year, which gives families the opportunity to plant snowdrop bulbs in memory of their baby or child.
The Trust also holds remembrance services annually for the parents and families of children and babies who have died in the Trust. The service in the Antrim locality is held on the third Sunday in May, the service in the Causeway locality is held in November. The books of remembrance are re-dedicated at this service each year. The dates for this service will be posted on this website and in the local press. Many parents and family members choose to write some words in memory of their child which is then included in the book and there is no time limit for the inclusion of information.
Bereavement Coordinator
Our Bereavement Coordinator, Leona Laverty, works with staff throughout the Trust to promote quality end-of-life and bereavement care. If you would like to share information that would help with this, please contact Leona on 028 9442 4992.
Leona is also available to staff for advice or support relating to themselves or people in their care. If the coordinator is unavailable, callers are requested to leave a message and someone will return their call. Alternatively, you can email bereavement.support@northerntrust.hscni.net