The North East Ambulance Service (NEAS) is inviting members of the public to take part in a new research study exploring the experiences of families following the death of a loved one outside hospital.

When someone dies unexpectedly, either at home or in a public place, ambulance clinicians are often the first to deliver both emergency care and emotional support.

The study aims to explore how families perceive that support and what they found helpful or what could have been done differently, with a view to improving how the service supports grieving families in future.

Research paramedic Owen Finney, who is leading the initiative, said: “We have an idea of what we do, but we want to see if what we’re doing is working.

The North East Ambulance Service is inviting members of the public to take part in a new research study.

placeholder image — The North East Ambulance Service is inviting members of the public to take part in a new research study.

“We’re seeking to ask people who have experienced a bereavement in these circumstances what was important to them during that time, what worked well and if anything could have been better.

“Every paramedic has different ways of breaking bad news and every circumstance is obviously different in the way you approach it as a paramedic. However, I’m interested to see if there are any common themes that might inform future training.”

The study is open to anyone in the North East who has lost a loved one whilst receiving care from the ambulance service over the last two years.

Participants will be interviewed either online via Microsoft Teams or in person. All responses will be anonymised to protect participants’ privacy.

Participation is voluntary and people can withdraw at any point up to 24 hours after the interview. If you would like more information, or wish to take part, please email [email protected]