Leicester Royal Infirmary
Bereavement Services are located on the ground floor of the Windsor Building, after Windsor Reception.
- Hours: 9am–4pm, Monday to Friday
- Telephone: 0116 258 5194
- Alternative: 0116 258 5196
Local information for Leicester families
Bereavement Support & Practical Help in Leicester
Clear practical guidance after someone dies, together with links to trusted organisations that provide specialist emotional and bereavement support.
Bay Tree Funerals can help with funeral arrangements and the practical
steps following a death. We do not provide counselling services.
Looking specifically for counselling or emotional support?
Please use the specialist bereavement organisations listed further down this page. They are better placed to provide counselling, listening services and ongoing emotional support.
A message from Samantha
You do not have to understand every step straight away.
When someone dies, families are often faced with unfamiliar paperwork, telephone calls and decisions at a time when concentrating can be difficult.
My role is to make the funeral arrangements feel calmer and more manageable. For emotional counselling and longer-term grief support, the specialist organisations on this page can offer the right kind of help.
Samantha Ward
Lady Funeral Director
Knowing where to begin
Practical help after someone dies
There are usually two separate kinds of help that a family may need.
The first is practical help: understanding what happens next, registering the death, choosing a funeral director and arranging the funeral.
The second is emotional or therapeutic support. Bay Tree Funerals is not a counselling service, so we have included direct links to trusted local and national organisations for anyone who needs that specialist help.
This separation means you can contact the organisation best suited to what you need today.
Bay Tree practical guides
What may need to happen next
These guides explain the immediate practical steps following a death.
When a Death Occurs
Start here for guidance following a death at home, in hospital, in a care home or unexpectedly.
Read the guide →Registering a Death
Understand the registration process, the documents you may receive and what happens afterwards.
Read the guide →Funeral Costs
See our funeral choices and transparent pricing before making any decisions.
View funeral costs →Cremation Services
Information about attended cremation funerals across Leicester and Leicestershire.
Explore cremation services →Burial Services
Local guidance about arranging a burial in a cemetery, churchyard or natural burial ground.
Explore burial services →Funeral Advice Centre
Straightforward answers covering funeral arrangements, paperwork, choices and practical concerns.
Visit the Advice Centre →
Funeral arrangements
Need help arranging a funeral?
You do not have to know exactly what to do before calling us. Samantha or a member of our family will explain the immediate practical steps and help you understand your funeral choices.
0116 278 8868Available 24 hours a day for funeral arrangements throughout Leicester and Leicestershire.
Deaths in Leicester hospitals
Hospital bereavement offices
If someone has died in hospital, the hospital bereavement office normally helps coordinate the medical paperwork and explains what happens next. Families are generally seen by appointment.
Glenfield Hospital
Please report to the hospital's main reception. Families are normally seen by appointment.
- Hours: 9am–4pm, Monday to Friday
- Telephone: 0116 258 3401
- Alternative: 0116 258 3417
Leicester General Hospital
Please report to the hospital's main reception. Families are normally seen by appointment.
- Telephone hours: 9am–4pm, Monday to Friday
- Telephone: 0116 258 4235
- Alternative: 0116 258 4236
Please check before travelling:
hospital locations, opening arrangements and telephone details can change.
Contact the hospital bereavement office first and arrange an appointment
where required.
Specialist emotional support
Bereavement counselling and support organisations
The organisations below provide specialist listening, counselling, peer support or bereavement information. Please contact them directly for emotional or therapeutic support.
Please note:
Bay Tree Funerals has provided these links as a helpful directory.
We do not deliver, manage or supervise the counselling and support
services offered by these organisations.
Local support in Leicester and Leicestershire
LOROS Bereavement Hubs
Local drop-in sessions for adults who have been bereaved, with opportunities to access information and speak with others.
The Laura Centre
Leicester-based bereavement counselling for children and adults, including support following the death of a child or parent.
NHS Talking Therapies
NHS psychological support may be appropriate where grief is significantly affecting everyday life, anxiety or mental wellbeing.
General bereavement support
Cruse Bereavement Support
Free and confidential bereavement support, online information and access to local services.
Sue Ryder Grief Support
Online grief information and a community where people can share experiences with others affected by bereavement.
Widowed and Young
Peer support for people aged 50 or under who have lost a spouse or partner.
Support for children and young people
Winston's Wish
Guidance and specialist support for bereaved children, young people and the adults caring for them.
Child Bereavement UK
Confidential information and guidance for families when a child is bereaved or when a child is facing bereavement.
Grief Encounter
Support for bereaved children, young people and families, including information and helpline services.
Support following particular circumstances
Survivors of Bereavement by Suicide
Peer support for adults who have been bereaved by suicide, including support groups and a national helpline.
Macmillan Cancer Support
Information and support for people affected by cancer, including family members and those who have been bereaved.
Victim Support
Independent emotional and practical support for people affected by crime, including bereaved families.
Urgent emotional support
Samaritans
Confidential emotional support, available at any time, for anyone who is struggling or feels unable to cope.
NHS urgent mental health help
For urgent mental health support, use NHS 111 and select the mental health option where available. In an immediate emergency, call 999.
Common questions
Bereavement help and funeral arrangements
Can Bay Tree Funerals provide bereavement counselling?
No. Bay Tree Funerals provides funeral arrangements and practical funeral guidance. For counselling, therapeutic help or ongoing emotional support, please contact one of the specialist organisations listed on this page.
When should I telephone Bay Tree Funerals?
Please telephone us if someone has died and you need a funeral director, need your loved one brought into our care, want to discuss funeral arrangements or need practical guidance about what happens next.
Do I have to arrange the funeral immediately?
You do not normally have to decide every detail straight away. Once your loved one is being cared for safely, Samantha can explain the choices and allow you time to consider what feels appropriate.
What does a hospital bereavement office do?
A hospital bereavement office usually coordinates the medical documentation following a hospital death, explains the next steps and provides information needed before the death can be registered or funeral arrangements can progress.
Is specialist bereavement support free?
Some charities and NHS services provide support without charge, while private counsellors may charge a fee. Contact the relevant organisation directly to check its eligibility, referral process, availability and costs.
Can children receive specialist bereavement support?
Yes. The Laura Centre, Winston's Wish, Child Bereavement UK and Grief Encounter provide information or specialist support designed for children, young people and their families.
Bay Tree Funerals
Here when you need help with the funeral
You do not need to have made all the decisions before speaking to us. If someone has died and you need help with the funeral arrangements, call Samantha or a member of our family.
0116 278 8868Independent, family-run funeral directors in Blaby, supporting families throughout Leicester and Leicestershire.
More practical guidance
Related funeral advice
Expected death at home →
Death in hospital →
Death in a care home →
An unexpected death →
Medical Examiner guidance →
Common funeral questions →
External organisations and contact details can change. Bay Tree Funerals recommends checking each provider's website for its latest opening times, eligibility requirements and service availability.