To mark the national Dying Matters Week, which runs from Monday 13 to Sunday 19 May, we’re holding Death Cafes at both our hospitals.

Dying Matters Weeks aims to get people to be more comfortable talking about dying and Death Cafes are a great opportunity to come together in an open forum, to talk about death and dying while enjoying a cup of tea and a slice of cake.

The first one will be held in the Cedar Centre at King George Hospital on Tuesday 14 May from 12.30pm to 1.30pm. Then there will be one at Queen’s Hospital on Thursday 16 May in the discharge lounge on the ground floor, also from 12.30pm to 1.30pm.

The Death Cafes will be run by Gemma Norburn, from our Mortuary team, who has been running them for over a year and is keen to point out that they are not sad and depressing.

She said: “I’m really pleased to be involved in hosting a Death Café where I work and excited to see what Dying Matters Week will bring and what people will discuss at the events.”

There will also be information stalls at our hospitals on both days that the Death Café will be held. Anyone is welcome to come along and join the conversation.