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Professional bodies and employers of anyone whose role brings them into contact with bereaved people must ensure they have bereavement training that is culturally-informed, and contextually tailored, including training on complex and traumatic grief, at an appropriate level

Many organisations provide high quality bereavement awareness training, but this does not routinely form part of initial training programmes or inductions. Significant further work is needed to embed appropriate bereavement training across sectors and appropriate levels

In Wales, the National Bereavement Steering Group (NBSG) have provided funding for bereavement awareness training courses for a variety of organisations. The NBSG encourages all employers to ensure that all staff who come into contact with bereaved people have access to the appropriate training to undertake this work compassionately.

Each UK Government must ensure that there is sustainable funding and effective delivery of palliative care services

Sustainable funding for palliative care remains a critical ongoing challenge. Steering group partners raised issues of funding for palliative care through the course of the 2024 General Election campaign and have continued to work to ensure that this is recognised as a key issue by the new government.

In Northern Ireland, Marie Curie continues to engage with elected representatives and commissioners on the need for a new palliative and end of life care strategy to address current and future need.

To ensure an integrated approach to delivery of care before, during and after a death, governments across the UK must ensure that palliative and end of life care strategies are effectively linked to bereavement support strategies.

In England, the Health and Care Act 2022 placed a new duty on Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) to commission palliative care services, and the subsequent statutory guidance elaborated that this includes commissioning a sufficiency of bereavement support services. However, in practice steering group partners are not seeing bereavement being prioritised at systems level.

In Scotland, bereavement has been reflected in the draft Scottish Palliative Care Strategy after several meetings to ensure bereavement was prioritised.

In Wales, bereavement is now embedded within the NHS Wales Executive’s Palliative and End of Life Care programme.