Commons Sense

House of Commons · Westminster Hall

Bereavement Charities

05 July 2022 · 3 other contributors · 7,040 words

Opened by Selaine Saxby Con North Devon

Responding minister: Gillian Keegan

Mental HealthNHS

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Selaine Saxby raised concerns about bereavement charities in Westminster Hall. A government minister responded.

Key points

  • Selaine Saxby raises concerns about the increasing demand for bereavement support services due to the pandemic, noting that many bereaved individuals require specialist interventions.
  • The National Bereavement Partnership has received over 30,000 calls and provided more than 80,000 hours of helpline services, but funding challenges and competition for donations are hindering its ability to meet demand.
  • Selaine Saxby requests 20,000 per month in government financial assistance to help the National Bereavement Partnership continue its work effectively.

Key requests to Government

Selaine Saxby asks for government support to ensure bereavement charities can continue their work effectively without overburdening the NHS. Specifically, she requests financial assistance of £20,000 per month to meet the demand of services offered by the National Bereavement Partnership.

How the debate unfolded

MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said.

Opened the debate

Selaine Saxby Con North Devon

Selaine Saxby is concerned about the increasing demand on bereavement support services due to the pandemic. She highlights that around 30% of closely bereaved people need organised opportunities for grief reflection, with a further 10% requiring specialist interventions. The National Bereavement Partnership has received over 30,000 calls and provided more than 80,000 hours of helpline services, yet demand continues to outstrip supply, leading to difficulties in accessing support. She also mentions that the charity is facing funding challenges due to competition with other causes for donations and a reduction in governmental support.

Other contributors (3)
  • Jim Shannon DUP Strangford

    Jim Shannon praised the work of bereavement charities and highlighted the impact of the pandemic, noting that 160,000 people in the UK died due to covid-19. He also mentioned the importance of support from family, friends, and elected representatives during difficult times.

  • Rosena Allin-Khan Lab Tooting

    Allin-Khan shared her personal experience of losing a parent to dementia and highlighted the importance of recognising that everyone deals with loss differently. She thanked Sue Ryder for their assistance in supporting families through bereavement, noting that around 70% of respondents reported they could not access the type of support they needed after a close bereavement due to cultural specificity or language barriers.

  • Steven Bonnar SNP Glasgow South

    Steven Bonnar highlighted the importance of bereavement support and noted that Sue Ryder's research found 70% of people in the UK could not access desired bereavement support, with only 34% being assessed for formal support. He recommended the Minister explore Scotland's mental health transition and recovery plan, which allocates 10% of NHS frontline spending to mental health. Bonnar also advocated for a marketing campaign to promote grassroots charities and legislation on paid bereavement leave following miscarriage.

Government Response

Gillian Keegan

The Government recognises the importance of bereavement support and has provided over £10 million in funding for mental health charities, including several bereavement support organisations during the pandemic. This funding helped bolster capacity to provide support through helplines, befriending programmes, signposting services, and therapeutic interventions. The establishment of integrated care systems aims to improve collaboration among commissioners, local authorities, and partners. NHS England will introduce new statutory guidance, technical guidance, and tools to include bereavement support as part of a wider package of palliative and end-of-life care services. The UK Commission on Bereavement is exploring issues to make recommendations for better support for bereaved people, with the Government committing to formally respond to its report. A cross-Government working group has been set up to discuss cross-cutting issues related to bereavement support, meeting regularly since early 2023. The Minister emphasised the importance of breaking down barriers to bereavement support, such as those based on ethnicity, and encouraged bereavement support organisations to reach out to their local integrated care system for information about available support.

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