Sunday 3 November 2024
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Letter from HM the King pays tribute to QMC bereavement team

A grieving daughter has written to His Majesty The King to praise staff at the mortuary at Queen’s Medical Centre in Nottingham for their care and compassion after her father died.

Melanie Clark asked the King to send a special thank you to the Bereavement Team after the death of her father, John, saying: “Their care, patience and understanding has been absolutely amazing. They allowed me to visit as many times as I wished to spend precious time with my dad, which helped me enormously following my loss.

“Like the King, my dad was a son, a brother, a dad, an uncle and a grandfather. He will be greatly missed.”

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Melanie said she decided to write to the King because her dad – a retired security guard – never got the chance to thank the staff who cared for him.

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“The team were amazing from the moment my dad arrived there to him being picked up by the funeral directors,” said Melanie.

“I was met by Jack Fieldhouse, mortuary assistant, who was absolutely wonderful and so caring. The loss of a parent is devastating.

“My dad was 82 when he died; he loved his family and was extremely proud of his grandchildren.

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“He was into films – especially Christmas films, which he would watch all year round. He had a huge collection of DVDs – probably more than HMV!

“He was a keen poet, and his poems were published in local newspapers – we read three of them out at his funeral service.

“I had 50 wonderful years with my dad. I know it happens to all of us, but nothing prepares you for losing them. Jack’s words at the time reassured me and will stay with me always.”

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Melanie and mum Sue – a receptionist in Paediatric Critical Care at QMC – also paid tribute to Clair, Jenna, and Kirsty in the mortuary.

“It seemed fitting, given that the King’s coronation took place during the year that the NHS is 75, to ask the King to thank them,” said Melanie. “There is no one else more important to ask!”

Clair Sadler, Anatomical Pathology Technologist, said: “I was really grateful to have been part of this wonderful team. We know it is such a difficult time for families and most of the time they are so far from the frame of mind to actually write to us and thank us; we don’t do all we do as a team in order to receive this thanks, but this has made me feel so happy to be acknowledged.

“It is such an important year this year – the 75th anniversary of the NHS and the King’s coronation – to be acknowledged by the King’s office has made it even more special.”

Karen Evans, Deputy Mortuary Manager, said: “I was extremely thankful to Melanie that she had thought about us at a time when she was going through such personal grief. It was a truly selfless act. I also feel extremely proud of the team and their dedication to our patients and their relatives. It is certainly humbling to be acknowledged by the King’s office.

“I am really proud to work for the NHS and believe that all staff make a difference. It’s amazing to see how far it has come in the last 75 years and I hope that it continues to grow for future generations. This has been made even more special by the mortuary being acknowledged by the King in his Coronation year – it is a celebration of two great institutions!”

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