Our Service

To ensure the family / whānau of the deceased have an appropriate environment to meet and grieve, CMDHB has developed a Bereavement Care suite. The deceased and their family/ whānau are transferred to this environment allowing  them time to identify what they want to happen next without feeling the pressure of having to move on quickly from a very busy ward environment.

On behalf of CMDHB, BCS facilitate a program where all patients who die are accessed for their ability to be a cornea donor. This includes the BCS team member working with family members and Hospital Staff and to ensure that:

• The deceased is medically suitable for donation
• The families consent is obtained
• All appropriate forms are completed
• Retrieval is arranged

This program provides approximately 40% of eye tissue donation for transplantation annually.

BCS pride themselves in handling tissue appropriately, whether it is to be returned to a family or disposed of. As BCS operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, families are able to collect tissue returns at a time that is convenient for them.  The tissue return service is provided for all families, not just for the families of the deceased.