UK to face 'bereavement crisis' post-pandemic

New research suggests that the UK will face a bereavement crisis after the pandemic and a lasting legacy of grief.

Research, carried out by Cardiff University's Marie Curie Palliative Care Research Centre and the University of Bristol has highlighted the 'difficulties and distress' people have experienced when trying to get support after losing a loved one during the pandemic.

Of the 711 respondents, over half (51%) of those seeking support said they faced long waiting lists or were told they were ineligible.

The survey also found that three quarters (74%) of bereaved people demonstrating high or severe levels of vulnerability, weren't accessing formal bereavement services or mental health support.

Sarah Candlish, 47, experienced the death of her husband, Simon and mother, Ethel during the first wave of the pandemic.

Her mother was admitted to hospital with Covid-19 and died alone whereas her partner Simon, had stage three bladder cancer and died at home with Sarah at his side.

“There wasn’t any processing of the grief", she said.

"I spoke to friends over text and the phone, but there wasn’t any cuddling or face-to-face conversations. There wasn’t the physical presence of people which has delayed my grief.

Sarah believes that waiting times are too long and that more should be done to direct people to the correct services.

She said: “For people dealing with grief now, there needs to be quicker access to services. The waits are too long and there needs to be more literature. You need to be handed something with everything in, with all the signposting to the different services.”

The survey also highlighted that people found it difficult getting support from family and friends due to reduced social contact during the pandemic.

The first UK-wide survey of its kind also showed that the pandemic had a major impact on the quality of support available for those dealing with a bereavement, disrupting collective mourning practices and leaving people feeling isolated.

Dr Emily Harrop, from the Marie Curie Palliative Care Research Centre based at Cardiff University, said: “It is incredibly upsetting to know that even when people did reach out to access support they desperately needed, they still faced difficulties such as long waiting lists or being told they are ineligible.

"We really need politicians and policy-makers to take a thorough look at how we can make changes to support people both before and after a death in the future.

“The survey results show that many people faced significant challenges in dealing with bereavement during the pandemic and highlights that more awareness of support options, information on grief and bereavement services should be provided proactively following a death and made available online and in the community.”

A Welsh Government spokesperson said: “We send our heartfelt condolences to everyone who has lost a loved one to this cruel virus and to those who have faced a bereavement during this difficult time.

"We have provided £900k to our hospices and bereavement providers to increase the level of bereavement support available during this very difficult time. We also announced an additional £1m for bereavement support is being made available this year.

 “We are also developing a national bereavement framework to support the establishment of clear referral pathways, bereavement standards and a range of actions to support regional and local planning.”