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Time for change? A national audit on bereavement care in intensive care units

Introduction Bereaved ICU family members frequently experience anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder, which have been associated with significantly impaired quality of life. Recognising that their needs extend beyond the support provided by their friends and family, the Intensive Care Society had published in 1998 recommendations around bereavement care. Objective The aim of the present national audit was to compare bereavement services in England against the nine recommendations set out by the Intensive Care Society guidelines. Methods A telephone audit was carried out in all adult ICUs in England. Results A total of 144 NHS Trusts (179 ICUs) met the inclusion criteria and 113 responses were collected (78% of Trusts, 63% of individual ICUs). Although most ICUs provided administrative information (96% had an information booklet), training (53%), auditing (19%) and adequate facilities (27%) did not meet the recommended standards. Conclusion Bereavement care is underdeveloped in English ICUs. This important but underreported topic should be prioritised in the critical care research agenda.