Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what guidance he provides to health trusts on procedures relating to the death of people in their care with no (a) will and (b) obvious next-of-kin.

The Department provided guidance to the National Health Service in relation to the death of people in their care who have no will, and no obvious next of kin. The guidance is available in the document, ‘When a Patient Dies: Advice on Developing Bereavement Services in the NHS’ published in October 2005 and is available at the following link:

https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20130124071407/http://www.dh.gov.uk/prod_consum_dh/groups/dh_digitalassets/@dh/@en/documents/digitalasset/dh_4122193.pdf