Bus tour to help public talk about death

A bus will be touring Oxfordshire this week to encourage and remind people to talk about death, dying and bereavement. The initiative is being led by the NHS and local charities as part of the national Dying Matters Week which starts today (Monday 14 May 2018).

The bus will be visiting six towns in the county over three days and staff will be on hand to create a friendly space for people to ask questions about end of life care such as making a will, planning a funeral and coping with bereavement.

The bus will be at the following venues:

• Kidlington 14 May (10am to noon) in Sainsbury's car park, Oxford Road OX5 2PE
• Bicester 14 May (1pm to 3pm) in Tesco's Superstore car park, Lakeview Drive OX26 1DE
• Banbury 16 May (10am to noon) in Bridge Street, near the entrance to Castle Quay shopping centre
• Wallingford 16 May (1pm to 3pm) in the Wallingford Community Hospital car park, Reading Road OX10 9DU
• Oxford 17 May (10am to noon) in the car park at the John Allen Centre, Cowley OX4 3JP
• Witney 17 May (1pm to 3pm) in the Witney community hospital car park, Welch Way OX28 6JJ

Oxford University Hospitals staff will join colleagues from other NHS organisations and local hospice care charities at the events to offer advice and answer questions. The Co-operative Funeral Care has part-funded the initiative.

There will also be awareness stands in our hospitals during Dying Matters Week in the following locations:

• The League of Friends space on Level 2 at the John Radcliffe Hospital (Monday 14 to Wednesday 16 May)
• In the main receptions of the Churchill Hospital and Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre, and next to the A&E entrance at the Horton General Hospital (Monday 14 to Thursday 17 May)

These stands will include leaflets and information about death, dying and bereavement with staff available to talk to patients, visitors and staff from 1-2pm each day.

Dr Mary Miller, Palliative Medicine Consultant and Lead for Oxford University Hospitals' end of life care project, says:

"Dying Matters Week is a real opportunity for us to get out into our local communities and encourage people to talk about this important subject. Every one of us will die and our hospitals play an important role in caring for those who are dying, their family and friends. OUH is committed to supporting our staff to provide the best possible care for patients in the final stages of their lives."

For more information about the week and other events taking place across the country see:

www.dyingmatters.org/page/map-awareness-week-events-2018