HEALTH bosses are close to discovering whether their plans for a new facility to help the healing process for grieving families will be given the go-ahead.

York Hospital has drawn up proposals aimed at creating a bereavement suite to provide those coming to terms with the loss of a loved one with the comfort and support they need.

The Wigginton Road site has secured £30,000 in funding towards the scheme from London-based health charity the King’s Fund, with the aim of replacing its current bereavement set-up, which is seen as unwieldy and unsuitable.

City of York Council is now expected to decide whether the project can move forward in May – and if permission is granted, the new suite should be open by the end of the year.

At the moment, relatives of those who have died have to visit several sites around the hospital complex to obtain a death certificate, collect the deceased’s belongings and valuables and register the death.

Now York Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust wants to combine these services within a single facility, which would be sited where the registrar’s office currently stands at the centre of the hospital and include a landscaped garden and careful, sensitive design themes.

The scheme is being driven by a five-strong nurse-led team at the hospital, with a further £10,000 of funding already being earmarked by the trust, although the final cost has yet to be finalised.

“We feel this is something the hospital needs, as our current bereavement services are spread across different areas,” said clinical development team leader Marion Khan, who also heads the King’s Fund project team at the hospital.

“It is a distressing time for bereaved relatives anyway and we felt this could add to their distress, so the focus of this project is to have a centralised suite combining all these services.

“We also want to create a supportive environment where those who are grieving can talk to people or just gather as a family as part of the healing process in the days after losing a loved one, when there is a heightened sense of emotion.

“It will not simply be a case of putting a pretty picture on a wall – the proposed suite will incorporate art and creative thinking around colour, design, lighting, furniture and even floor coverings, as well as a discreet garden area if people just want some fresh air.

“We have consulted widely with local people and those who have experienced the current bereavement facilities in order to develop these plans for the suite.”

The King’s Fund is an independent charitable foundation working for health improvements, and part of its role includes considering applications for grants towards certain projects.