Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust has a Specialist Palliative Care team which provides advice and support for patients with advanced life-limiting illnesses and their families and carers. Based at the Alexandra Hospital, Redditch and Worcestershire Royal Hospital, the team also provides clinical advice and education to professional staff like doctors and nurses. Both the Alexandra and Worcestershire Royal hospital patients and families can access Spiritual, Pastoral and religious support.  

Acorns Children's Hospice provides care, support, fun and laughter for children with life limiting or life-threatening conditions and their families.

KEMP Hospice provides a major support system for the Wyre Forest Community and their primary goal is to provide palliative care and support, adding to the quality of life for the patients and their carers.

Primrose Hospice supports patients with life-limiting illnesses and their families in North-East Worcestershire.

St. Richard's Hospice cares for patients and families in Worcestershire who are living with life-threatening illnesses. Each year they give free care and support to around 2, 500 patients and family members - helping them towards the best quality of life possible. 

The following organisations provide information for people on all subjects related to end-of-life care. This includes guidance on having difficult conversations and all aspects of planning:

• Dying Matters offer resources for having difficult conversations about dying
• Compassion in Dying provides information on making decisions and planning your care
• Age UK has information on making a will, power of attorney, financial support, living wills
• Independent Age provides information about future planning
• Alzheimers UK has information for people with Alzheimer's
• Macmillan offers information for people with cancer
• Money Advice Service gives information on financial planning

Palliative care is for people with a terminal illness and their families. There is further information about this type of care: 

• Complementary therapies for palliative care
• Palliative Care for People with Learning Disabilities Network 

There maybe other practical things you may need to consider to ensure that any wishes and needs are met.  

• Making a will: make sure your money and possessions are dealt with as you wish
• Granting Power of Attorney: give someone you trust the legal authority to make decisions on your behalf
• Making advance decisions (living will): allows you to express your wishes to refuse medical treatment in the future
• Do Not Attempt Resuscitation (DNAR) form: tells your healthcare team not to use CPR
• Looking after your pets: RSPCA Home for Life can care for your pets in the event of your death  

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is the independent regulator of health and social care in England. They provide inspection reports of providers on their website. 

The Gold Standards Framework helps doctors, nurses and care assistants to provide the highest possible standard of care for patients in the last years of life. 

Find out how to make a complaint about NHS care, treatment or services. 

Find out how to register a death in Worcestershire 

After you have registered a death, you can use the Tell Us Once service, which allows you to report a death to most government organisations in one go. 

Many organisations offer advice and information after the death of a loved one 

• NHS Bereavement advice and support 
• Worcestershire County Council Bereavement support
• Citizens Advice has information on what to do after someone has died, including who to inform and how to arrange the funeral