Dying Matters Awareness Week: The importance of talking about death

NHS Humber and North Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership is encouraging people across the region to talk about death, dying, and grief in whatever way, shape, or form works for them during Dying Matters Awareness Week (6-12th May 2024).

The national campaign aims to open up conversations around death and dying – with this year’s theme focusing on the language that we use and the conversations we have around death with healthcare professionals.

A range of events are taking place across Humber and North Yorkshire to support Dying Matters Awareness Week, and residents are welcome to attend and participate in these honest but necessary conversations. 

Northern Lincolnshire

Staff from Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust’s End of Life team will be hosting stalls at various locations during the week. You can find them at:

 The Arc Westcliff, Scunthorpe – Tuesday 7^th May between 10am-2pm

• Trinity Church, Barton – Wednesday 8^th May between 10.30am-12pm
• Morrisons Supermarket, Scunthorpe – Friday 10th May between 10am-3pm
• St John’s Market, Scunthorpe – Friday 10^th May between 9am-3pm
• RDaSH bus at Tesco car park, Scunthorpe – Friday 17^th May between 10am-3pm
• Freeman Street Market, Grimsby – Friday 17^th May between 9am-3pm

Hull and East Riding

Staff from Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (HUTH), Yorkshire Ambulance Service, Dove House Hospice, City Health Care Partnership, and local bereavement services are joining together and will have stands in the main foyer of Hull Royal Infirmary.

Staff will be there from 11am-3pm on Tuesday 7^th, Wednesday 8^th  and Thursday 9^th  May. If you are in the area, you are welcome to pop along, chat, and find out information and support available. 

Following this, HUTH is hosting its annual ‘At a loss for words’ event aimed at local employers to better support bereaved employees. Click here to find out more about the event.

York and North Yorkshire

The Palliative Care Nursing team from York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust will be based at various locations during the week, encouraging people to come and talk to the team. You will find them at:

 Bereavement Suite at York Hospital – Tuesday 7^th, Thursday 9^th and Friday 10^th May from 1-3pm

• The Hub (near Ellerby’s) at York Hospital – Wednesday 8^th May from 1-3pm
• Scarborough Hospital RVS Café – Tuesday 14^th May, 11am-12pm and Thursday 16^th May, 2-3pm
• Nelson Court, York –  Friday 10^th May from 1-3pm
• Selby Hospital – Thursday 9^th May from 9-11am
• St Monica’s, Easingwold – Tuesday 7^th to Friday 10^th May

 Click here to find out more from the Trust.

St Leonard’s Hospice also has a range of events planned during Dying Matters Week to help local people talk about death and dying. Click here to find out more.

Humber and North Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership is passionate about supporting people of all ages in communities to live well with an illness that cannot be cured and to die well, with dignity. 

In pursuit of this ambition, the ICB is working towards establishing an 'All-Age Palliative and End-of-Life Care Centre of Excellence' – with the aim of being a national pioneer.

Dawn Bowness, Strategic Lead for the Community Health and Care Collaborative at Humber and North Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership, said: "Dying Matters Awareness Week supports our vision for people to have positive conversations about death and dying with those they love so that if they do become unwell, families, carers, and health care professionals already know what they need to do and what not to do.

"We know that it is a challenging subject to discuss, and these drop-in events will support people in taking this critical step in starting the conversation. 

"We want to thank the many organisations working together during Dying Matters Week 2024 and throughout the year to promote the simple message that we need to talk about death, dying, and grief in an honest and timely way that works for all.”

Events are taking place across the UK throughout the week. Visit the Dying Matters website for more information or to host your own Dying Matters Week event.