As part of Dying Matters Week, East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust’s End of Life and Bereavement team, in collaboration with the Trust’s Imam and Muslim Chaplaincy Coordinator Fazal Hassan, has launched a series of initiatives aimed at fostering open and understanding conversations around death, dying and bereavement. This year, the focus is on cultural practices within the Muslim community.
During the week, the End of Life and Bereavement Team held a pop-up stand at Royal Blackburn Teaching Hospital to share information with colleagues and visitors. Additionally, they have produced a series of videos for colleagues exploring the topic of death within the Muslim faith. These resources are designed to help staff better understand cultural and religious practices, enabling them to provide more compassionate and informed end-of-life care for Muslim patients and their families.
Beyond the activities throughout Dying Matters Week, the team have worked closely with Imam Fazal Hassan to organise regular events in community centres and mosques across Burnley and Blackburn. The sessions, which have had 250 attendees so far, create a space for open conversations about death and dying. They offer community members the opportunity to learn more, ask questions, and discover the support available at the hospital at the end of life.
About the events, NHS social worker and volunteer at Masjid Sunnah in Nelson, Aftab Asghar, said: “We were given a comprehensive understanding of the processes following a death, alongside resources and contact details. This information will provide our community with support when it is most needed following a death in order to provide ease to the family and loved ones.”
End of Life and Bereavement Clinical Lead Nurse Joanne Gaskell added: “Dying Matters Week is the perfect time to have these important conversations. Talking about death can feel difficult, but understanding each other’s needs and beliefs at the end of life is key to delivering compassionate care. The community events help us to connect with our local community and help patients and families feel seen and supported.”
This community initiative reflects the spirit of Dying Matters Week, encouraging honest conversations about death and ensuring care at the end of life is inclusive, respectful and caring.
As part of Dying Matters Week, East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust’s End of Life and Bereavement team, in collaboration with the Trust’s Imam and Muslim Chaplaincy Coordinator Fazal Hassan, has launched a series of initiatives aimed at fostering open and understanding conversations around death, dying and bereavement. This year, the focus is on cultural practices within the Muslim community.
During the week, the End of Life and Bereavement Team held a pop-up stand at Royal Blackburn Teaching Hospital to share information with colleagues and visitors. Additionally, they have produced a series of videos for colleagues exploring the topic of death within the Muslim faith. These resources are designed to help staff better understand cultural and religious practices, enabling them to provide more compassionate and informed end-of-life care for Muslim patients and their families.
Beyond the activities throughout Dying Matters Week, the team have worked closely with Imam Fazal Hassan to organise regular events in community centres and mosques across Burnley and Blackburn. The sessions, which have had 250 attendees so far, create a space for open conversations about death and dying. They offer community members the opportunity to learn more, ask questions, and discover the support available at the hospital at the end of life.
About the events, NHS social worker and volunteer at Masjid Sunnah in Nelson, Aftab Asghar, said: “We were given a comprehensive understanding of the processes following a death, alongside resources and contact details. This information will provide our community with support when it is most needed following a death in order to provide ease to the family and loved ones.”
End of Life and Bereavement Clinical Lead Nurse Joanne Gaskell added: “Dying Matters Week is the perfect time to have these important conversations. Talking about death can feel difficult, but understanding each other’s needs and beliefs at the end of life is key to delivering compassionate care. The community events help us to connect with our local community and help patients and families feel seen and supported.”
This community initiative reflects the spirit of Dying Matters Week, encouraging honest conversations about death and ensuring care at the end of life is inclusive, respectful and caring.