PCT launches children’s bereavement service

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Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale Primary Care Trust (HMRPCT) has launched a new Children’s Bereavement Service to support children and young people aged between 4 and 19 years old.

The service will help children and young people, who are facing the loss through life threatening illness or have experienced the loss of a significant adult how to deal with their feelings. It will also provide support and guidance for parents and teachers.

The service has been launched in Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale following the success of the Macmillan Bury Bereavement Service. This project ended in October 2007 and as it was so successful - seeing more than 400 children over three years - HMRPCT provided funding to make it a permanent service.

The Specialist and Palliative Care Team, based at Langley Clinic, Middleton, together with HYPe (Healthy Young People’s Project) will provide the service.

Lead cancer and palliative care nurse, Janice Sedgwick, said: “It’s important to provide children and young people with emotional support when a parent or close adult has a life threatening illness to help them through the difficult time and cope after death. Children react to this sort of stress in different ways, sometimes negatively later in life, so it’s important that they deal with grief to avoid such issues.

“The Children’s Bereavement Service will allow children to identify and express their emotions appropriately, in a safe and confidential environment. This can be achieved by working with our specialist team in one to one sessions with the child or together with the child’s family.”

For more information on the service, contact the team on 0161 251 8345.