Speaking at the Wales Bereavement and Mental Well-Being Conference 2024, North Wales MS Mark Isherwood called for improved care and support for bereaved people in Wales.
Mr Isherwood, who is Chair of the Cross-Party Group on Funerals and Bereavement in the Senedd, stressed that not enough is currently being done to help those who have lost a loved one, and referred to the all-Wales charity ‘2 Wish Upon A Star’, which provides essential bereavement support for families who have suddenly and traumatically lost a child or young adult aged under 25, which may be from suicide or may be through accident or illness.
He also said that the Senedd’s Cross-Party Group on Hospices and Palliative Care, which he also Chairs, had proposed four recommendations “to improve the care and support of bereaved people in Wales, and thus ensure better outcomes for people following the loss of a loved one”.
Speaking at the Conference, which took place on Friday, he said:
“Three years ago, the Senedd held a debate on Suicide Bereavement Support, in which I spoke.
“During the debate it was noted that at least six people are deeply affected by each suicide, that a person bereaved by suicide is far more likely to attempt suicide themselves, that many people who are bereaved in this way find it hard to get the help they need, that we must provide better information and support to those bereaved or affected by suicide, and that support for this group must be recognised as a key element of suicide prevention.
“Reference was made to the founder of the all-Wales charity 2 Wish Upon a Star.
“She had previously told me that sudden death is the forgotten death in Wales, that although the charity has effectively become a statutory service in Wales, working with every Health Board and every Police Force, they were receiving no statutory support whatsoever, having to raise every penny themselves, despite reducing pressure on Mental Health Teams, helping tackle the unforeseeable trauma of unpredictable death and loss.
“She stated that she started her fight after her husband and son were taken from her suddenly—no preparation, no warning and then nothing, she said—and that the lack of support they received directly led to her husband taking his own life.
“Cruse Bereavement Care, the UK’s leading bereavement Charity, believe that access to the right support, tailored to the need of each bereaved person, can help them deal with the challenge of grief and build a meaningful life, whilst remembering and celebrating the lives of those they have lost. This, they say, can in turn help improve mental health and reduce the impact on NHS services.
“Before the last Senedd Election, Cruse was calling for the then next Welsh Government to have a Minister with responsibility for bereavement and a cross-departmental strategy, and for local funding for high-quality bereavement support, with too many people still lacking support after bereavement, where in too many areas, there is no statutory funding for the agencies and charities helping bereaved people.
“They also called for more compassionate communities, where everyone knows enough about grief to play their part in supporting people around a death.
“Marie Curie stated that ensuring adequate support for families experiencing bereavement is an important part of the process of death and dying.”
He added:
“The Senedd’s Cross-Party Group on Hospices and Palliative Care, which I also Chair, had proposed four recommendations to improve the care and support of bereaved people in Wales, and thus ensure better outcomes for people following the loss of a loved one:
“Firstly, to improve data on the need for bereavement support where, due to the lack of robust needs assessment, it is currently very difficult for services to plan for meeting need or to understand what resources they may need to do so.
“Secondly, to make bereavement a key feature of all relevant policy to be considered and embedded in Welsh Government strategy and policy, including adult mental health and well-being and children's mental health and well-being.
“Thirdly, to embed bereavement support in schools. And, fourthly, to make the provision of bereavement care sustainable, where the lack of strategic and policy prioritisation for bereavement support is evidenced in the very low levels of statutory funding for care for the bereaved.”
Mr Isherwood, who also Chairs the Cross-Party Group on Deaf Issues, also spoke of the need for a Deaf mental health service in Wales.
Concluding his speech, he said:
“As we have heard throughout this Conference, addressing the issues surrounding bereavement and suicide prevention is critical, working to break the stigma associated with suicide and actively engaging with the Governments to increase funeral support for families affected by this tragedy.
“While we may have lost someone, we must not fail their loved ones.
“Funeral Directors are on the front line of bereavement care and, together, we can offer support, save lives, and provide dignity in death.”