Funeral director tells

A Peterborough funeral director has spoken of the heartache families dealing with bereavement during the coronavirus pandemic are suffering.

Social distancing rules mean family members may not be able too be present during loved ones’ final hours, and attendances at funerals are also limited to just 10 mourners - which can cause more heartache.

The pandemic has placed increased pressure on the bereavement system from hospitals, registrars, coroners’ services, funeral directors, crematoriums, cemeteries, but funeral workers are still striving to provide the best support possible to families.

Ian Smith, director of Smiths Funeral Directors, an independent family funeral business based in Fletton, said: “First and foremost, our hearts go out to every family who have suffered a bereavement at this time. For a lot of families during this state of social distancing and lockdown, they have been unable to be present in the final hours and minutes of their loved one’s life. This has been traumatic and a very sad time for these families and with the current restriction with funeral services this results to added heartache.

“I have never seen anything like this in our profession and have been monitoring latest government guidelines announced by Public Health England and taking advise from SAIF our national trade association.

“My family Ruth, Mark, Naomi Smith and my company employees have remained steadfast in their commitment to provide the highest level of care to the bereaved, whilst working on the frontline.

“Adapting to the Covid-19 stringent precautions yet making sure everything runs smoothly throughout the arrangement and on the day of the funeral. The guidelines drawn up by the Government in consultation with the two main funeral trade associations the NAFD and SAIF, state that in order to reduce contact, face to face meetings for the arrangement of funerals should be replaced by remote options such as phone calls, email, and skype.

“We are finding that families are adapting well to this and we are still supporting them as much as needed. There are some families however, for various reasons, who are unable to use this type of communication so we have special measures and safe practices in place to give one to one support if necessary.

“The most notable and obvious impacts to funeral services is the attendance at a

Mark Smith ( left) and Ian Smith of Smiths Funeral Directors.