Bags of dignity and respect

To help maintain a patient’s dignity and to respect the feelings of families and carers, the Trust has bought a number of new bags which can be used to return personal belongings following unexpected deaths.

Previously, if patient didn’t have their own luggage, for instance if they have been admitted urgently, staff on a ward may have to use carrier bags or property bags to put belongings in when returning them to the families.

Now, items can be collected and held in a large, plain bag which is given to the family by staff who also offer condolences and ongoing support.

The bags were funded by the Trust’s charity, EyUp!, which helps to bring little extras to services.

Julie Eskins, assistant director, said: “Sadly, there are occasions when patients die unexpectedly whilst under our care on an inpatient ward. The ward team will gather the person’s belongings together for when a family member comes to collect them and put them in one of our new bags. How we treat a patient’s belongings demonstrates our approach to dignity and respect in death and how we show that families and carers’ feelings matter.”