Beyond the Bedside: Navigating professional grief and decisions about attending funerals

In this episode, Dr Clare Tucker talks to Dr Graham Whyte, Palliative Medicine Consultant, Marie Curie Hospice Glasgow / Associate Postgraduate Dean – Bereavement, Public Services Delivery Scotland who discusses the often-overlooked impact that patient deaths can have on health and social care staff. He highlights the concept of professional grief, emphasising that it is normal for staff to be affected by the deaths of people they care for and stresses the importance of open conversations, peer support and recognising grief rather than suppressing it. The discussion also considers whether staff should attend the funerals of people they cared for, highlighting that there is no single correct approach.

You can listen to the episode on Spotify or visit the Podcast page for more information.

A transcript for this podcast can be found here.