Director of public health annual report 2023/24: Death and Dying matters

Welcome to my Director of Public Health Annual Report 2023 to 2024: Inequalities in the experience of death and dying; with a focus on the assets and opportunities within Kirklees communities.

Death and dying is an inevitable part of life. Death is something which touches us all but can often be a subject which can be hard to discuss or plan for - even with the people we are closest to.

Over 3,800 people in Kirklees die every year. For three quarters of these people, death is a gradual process which happens over days, weeks, months, or years. In these cases, dying becomes an evolving part of life that may lead to rising administrative and financial burdens, complex conversations with family and friends, and increasing contact with health and social care.

Death and dying is experienced uniquely; Kirklees has a wealth of diverse communities who all have different customs and rituals in relationship to death. We also know that some people are able to plan for and experience a death which is within their control, in a setting of their choosing and with the people who they love.

Sadly, evidence shows us that some groups of people are more likely to experience a traumatic, stressful or unplanned death. This includes, but is not exclusive to:

People who identify as LGBTQ+
People experiencing homelessness
People with learning disabilities
People with non-malignant (non-cancerous) long-term health conditions
People with serious mental illness or addiction issues
People living in poverty or deprivation
Diverse experiences by race, ethnicity or faith
Unpaid carers

Colleagues in Kirklees and West Yorkshire have already produced excellent reports in this space. These include:

My report aims to add value to this important work.

The experience of death and dying not only impacts on the individual but also leaves a scar for the family and friends left behind. I wanted to be able to understand these inequalities more comprehensively at a local level and that is why I decided to have direct conversations with a range of people and organisations across the Kirklees system; specifically, people who work with the population groups who we know experience greater inequalities.

These conversations have been remarkable. They have included colleagues from large anchor organisations through to smaller grassroots community organisations across Kirklees. All the contributions have been powerful, insightful and thought-provoking.

My report aims to examine and understand these local inequalities and develop recommendations for the Kirklees system.

By reading the report and recommendations you are taking the first step towards gaining an improved understanding of the inequalities experienced around death and dying. By listening to the stories and experiences of our partners and by working together, we can help to reduce these inequalities and reduce the impact on individuals, families and communities. Finally, by talking about this report to family, friends, colleagues, partners and communities we are working together to help normalise these challenging conversations.

Thank you.

Death and Dying matters: Executive Summary

Death and dying matters: Executive Summary - plain english