People bereaved during the Covid-19 crisis face significant challenges that shape their experiences of grief. The sudden nature of many Covid-19 deaths, and infection control measures that limit family contact with patients, adds to the distress of the bereaved. Whether the cause of death is Covid-19 or another illness/event, social distancing measures mean that family members may grieve alone and mourning practices are disrupted. People from black and minority ethnic groups (BAME) are particularly affected by Covid-19 and can experience additional barriers to accessing bereavement services.

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Covid-19 has also brought significant challenges for bereavement services. Social distancing requirements make usual in-person individual and group bereavement support impossible, whilst responding to abnormal bereavement requires additional competencies among staff.

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This study, funded by the Economic and Social Research Council, will identify ‘real-time’ implications for the delivery of end-of-life care and bereavement support during and beyond the pandemic. It will enable us to recommend how to achieve equitable and effective bereavement support, pandemic-specific competencies needed by bereavement support workers and specific types of support that should be prioritised at regional and national levels, whilst working throughout to ensure prompt translation into practice.

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The first round of the online survey has been completed. A follow-up questionnaire will be administered soon.

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