Annex A > Chapter 16 - Support and Counselling > Introduction > Longer-term support and counselling
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Longer-term support and counselling
42 Many of the organisations or individuals, including UBH/T employees, involved in the provision of counselling and support continued to provide, or offer to provide, this service once the family returned home after the discharge or death of a child, whether by maintaining personal contact, or through support groups and remembrance services.
43 However, it was the policy of the UBH/T not to offer longer-term counselling, but to make arrangements for this to be provided locally.
44 Tracey Morgan, mother of Daniel:
`The hospital did not offer us any counselling. I think it would have been helpful if they had been able to do so. I have since received psychiatric treatment, but this had to be arranged through my GP.' [47]
45 In response, the UBHT confirmed its policy at that time on bereavement counselling:
`It was not the practice of the hospital to offer any counselling but to advise the General Practitioner immediately of the death of the child so that appropriate assistance could be arranged locally ...' [48]
46 Mrs Vegoda and Miss Stratton confirmed that it was part of their roles to make contact with local support services to facilitate this longer-term support and counselling. [49]
47 Helen Johnson, mother of Jessica, said that Mrs Vegoda had arranged for her to be visited when she returned home by a health visitor. Her evidence included this exchange:
`Q. I think it is right, is it not, that there was some follow-up support which Helen Vegoda took some steps to organise?
`Q. In particular, with the Social Services department?
`Q. And I think it is not necessary to go to the correspondence, but you are aware of correspondence, for example, in 1993, between Helen Vegoda and the Social Services department?
`Q. And that Helen Vegoda was in contact also with your GP and health visitor?
`Q. Did the health visitor continue to visit you and Jessica after her discharge from hospital?
`Q. How did you find that? Was that of assistance?
`A. I found that of assistance, yes.' [50]
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Footnotes
[47] WIT 0288 0011 Tracey Morgan
[48] WIT 0288 0012 UBHT
[49] See later in this chapter