Mission Matters Issue 3 Summer 2026 - Flipbook - Page 31
Beyond the door: Behind this door care continues with professionalism, humanity and quiet compassion
preparation of the deceased enables
families to spend meaningful time
with their loved one in a calm and
supportive environment.
Family-centred support is a key
element of the service. Staff
communicate sensitively and clearly
with relatives, helping them
understand next steps, facilitating
viewings and accommodating cultural,
religious and spiritual practices
wherever possible. The mortuary
service also supports timely release of
the deceased to funeral directors,
reducing additional distress for
bereaved families.
In summary, our hospital mortuary
service is an integral component of
comprehensive patient care. It
ensures that the patients at end of life
are treated with respect, it supports
families at a time of grief, it assists
clinicians in determining causes of
death, and upholds legal and ethical
standards.
From an end-of-life care perspective,
the mortuary forms part of the wider
continuum of compassionate care that
begins before death and continues
afterwards. The Mater Mortuary, with
support from the Hospital Executive
and the Executive Lead for End of Life
Care, has over the last number of
years had a series of refurbishments,
the most recent of which was a full
front of house refurbishment and now
with the new warm and welcoming
entrance and Chapel area the service
contributes to high-quality
bereavement care by promoting
privacy, dignity, respect and
emotional support at every stage.
In this way, the hospital mortuary
service plays a vital role in honouring
the life of each individual and
supporting those left behind with
professionalism, empathy and
compassion.
A Place of Dignity: The hospital mortuary at The Mater remains an essential and deeply human part of
the patient journey
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