Research by the National Association of Funeral Directors into delays and capacity crises shows funeral directors unable to protect bereaved families from a fragmented death management system that is struggling to cope with the needs of the nation.
The report, entitled ‘Picking up the pieces’, includes feedback from more than 1,000 funeral homes, across all four UK nations. It reveals the increasing difficulty experienced by funeral directors when attempting to protect bereaved families from delays in a system that is under severe and growing strain.
- Almost half of all UK families are waiting more than three weeks for a funeral to take place, with 14 percent of families waiting a month or more.
- The delays are most pronounced in England, where one in six families is waiting four weeks or more to say goodbye to a loved one.
- 82 percent of survey respondents say the delays are longer, or much longer than they would expect for this time of year.
- Two thirds of survey respondents are experiencing delays in bodies being released by the Coroner (Procurator Fiscal in Scotland) – which can mean families have to be advised they may not wish to see their loved one after death due to deterioration in their condition.
- Delays in getting death certificates signed by doctors have grown significantly since the start of the pandemic.
- Lack of appointments at Registry Offices mean that the majority of families cannot register a death within the legally required five-day window in England and Wales.
Said one respondent: “We are now in a place where the process has become so disjointed that we are struggling to provide any sense of reassurance to the bereaved and, more concerningly, we are often unable to make it possible for them to see their loved one, due to the delays.”
Andrew Judd, Chief Executive of the National Association of Funeral Directors, said: “Helping client families to navigate the complex processes and pathways which follow a death – and taking as much of the strain of it away from them as possible – has always been at the heart of every funeral director’s role.
“However, the ability of funeral directors to successfully deliver this role is coming under significant threat on a regular basis.
“For bereaved and deceased people to be properly cared for an intricate jigsaw of services must work seamlessly from the point of death to the funeral, with funeral directors guiding bereaved families through the process. As this survey shows, the infrastructure underpinning the death management jigsaw is crumbling under the strain. The system has become progressively more fragmented, leaving funeral directors struggling to protect bereaved families from the impact of gaps and delays that have arisen.
“What is needed now is joined-up engagement from Government to resolve these serious issues. The NAFD stands ready to engage with all parties to seek resolutions to these issues, to protect the wellbeing of bereaved people and the dignity of deceased people in their care.”
Read the report here.