Bereavement costs NHS Scotland £20 million each year

Bereavement costs NHS Scotland £20 million each year

An innovative new study has found that the hidden socio-economic impact of spousal bereavement costs NHS Scotland £20 million each year.

A multidisciplinary team of researchers from across the UK and the Netherlands have recently concluded an investigation on the social and economic impact bereavement has on those living in Scotland.

The study, which was supported by the Scottish Government as part of the programme of work to improve the quality of bereavement care services in Scotland, was undertaken by researchers from Robert Gordon University (RGU), University of Dundee, University of York, University of Utrecht, NHS Tayside and Cruse Bereavement Care Scotland.

They focused on key areas of health, income and employment and found that losing a spouse is not only associated with a comparative decrease in life expectancy, but also with an increased overall likelihood of being admitted to hospital, and with a longer stay there during periods of illness.

The study team concluded that this adds up to a hidden annual extra cost for NHS Scotland of approximately £20 million.

Dr Colin Macduff from RGU’s Institute for Health and Welfare Research (IHWR) said: “More than 200,000 people in Scotland are affected each year by the loss of someone close. Bereavement has social and economic implications for families, businesses, and public organisations, as well as for other organisations which support the bereaved.”

Health economist Dr Dennis Petrie from the University of Dundee added: “Estimating costs in these areas is problematic because bereavement is only one of a number of factors that may be having an impact on social and economic trends. However, by using large linked datasets, and by applying appropriate statistical techniques to create comparison groups and control for other influences, we have been able to uncover a number of previously hidden impacts.”

The total cost of visits to GPs or practice nurses for bereavement issues was found to be around £2.2 million each year, but the study concludes that the figure is likely to be only the tip of the iceberg of associated support costs. It was also found that the bereaved are less likely to be in work during the first three years of bereavement.

The research methods employed by the team will also be useful for further investigation in Scotland and in other countries around the world.

John Birrell, leader of the study team and Convenor of the Scottish Grief and Bereavement Hub, said: “This has been an exciting and challenging project and the study’s findings will be useful both at policy level for better understanding of impacts, and at local level for raising awareness for when a bereaved person will require support.”

For more information about the research, including reports, study findings, methods and background literature, please visit the Grief and Bereavement Hub website.