Liberal Democrat Leader praises national Bereavement programme which eases cost to the NHS and welfare system
Author: Deborah Auty
Date: 22nd September, 2025
Overview: Sir Ed Davey MP, leader of the Liberal Democrats, has praised AtaLoss’ The Bereavement Journey® programme on its societal effectiveness and cost-saving following its Impact Evaluation Report.
As the Liberal Democrat Conference meets in Bournemouth this week, Sir Ed Davey, the Party Leader has given his backing to The Bereavement Journey®, a national programme supporting adults dealing with recent and historic grief. The Leader has come out calling the programme “a lifeline for those facing the pain of losing a loved one.”
In a time where there are cuts in healthcare, Sir Ed acknowledged the financial benefit this programme is making.
Sir Ed’s comment follows a Danish study released earlier this summer which reported that prolonged grief can almost double the risk of death within ten years*.
A report from bereavement charity, AtaLoss, shows that timely, comprehensive, grief support can improve mental health and resilience and reduce reliance on NHS, welfare and crisis services — all of which carry a significant cost to the nation.
Delivered by churches in over 470 communities across the UK, The Bereavement Journey® is a pioneering, volunteer-led, grief support programme, re-launched in 2023 to help adults process the range of ways a bereavement can impact, whether recent or long ago, for their future wellbeing. The programme uniquely offers an option of spiritual support and accompanying signposting to wider services and resources to complete the all-round help.
A recent Independent Impact Evaluation shows:
● 96% of participants reported understanding how their bereavement was affecting them
● 95% said the course helped them to process their loss.
● 86% reported reduced loneliness
● 73% reported improvements in mental health
● 79% attended the optional spiritual session with 95% finding it helpful
● Over 93% said they felt better able to cope with their situation at the end of the course.
Participants reported renewed hope, improved resilience, and increased ability to re-engage with daily life and support others – all strongly linked to better public health outcomes.
The report proves that The Bereavement Journey® with accompanying signposting transforms lives. At the end of the 2-year evaluation period AtaLoss had invested £473K over 3 years to upgrade, relaunch, promote and support the packaged programme delivery. From that investment came at least £39.4 million in societal wellbeing gains - from 2,995 (one-third of total) participants. When all participants are considered, this equates to £118.2 million in gains – a return of almost £250 for every £1 invested.
With waiting times for NHS bereavement counselling stretching to 18–24 months in some areas, healthcare professionals are increasingly referring patients to the programme.
Welcoming this report, The Rt Hon Sir Ed Davey MP, Leader of the Liberal Democrats, said:
“Losing a loved one is incredibly tough, and the grief can feel unbearable. Strong community support can be a lifeline. This was highlighted by the UK Bereavement Commission.I was encouraged to see the findings of the impact of The Bereavement Journey® and how this has been demonstrated to be true. This course and the saving it makes to the public purse brings big benefits not just for the people they help, but for our wider society too.
It’s time we recognise that and properly support people as they deal with loss.”
Yvonne Tulloch, Founder and CEO of AtaLoss added:
“I welcome the backing of Sir Ed to this report.
As he acknowledges, grief isn’t just personal—it’s a public health and economic issue.
The Bereavement Journey® programme is providing timely support and preventing potential damaging outcomes. Bereavement affects people practically, physically, psychologically, socially, emotionally and spiritually. Along with our signposting it is regaining the informal, holistic community support that society once offered. Almost all of us have grown up with death as taboo, leading to grief illiteracy and neglect of bereavement support. In forgone years the various ways that death can impact were known and supported across a community, enabling bereaved people to process all aspects and re-build their future.Today, society hardly allows time off work to attend a funeral, let alone support in the holistic way bereavement requires. If a person is struggling after a death, counselling is usually the only help that is suggested.
We have yet to fully discover the lifelong cost to individuals and in turn, the public purse from decades of unprocessed loss.”
The analysis showed significant research evidence both in the UK and internationally that unsupported and unprocessed grief from bereavement have wide social implications for the health and welfare of both individuals and wider communities. With over 7 million people significantly bereaved in the UK in 2024 alone, the report concludes that The Bereavement Journey® could yield substantial societal and economic benefits, including reduced pressure on NHS services, and savings for employers. It cited physical and mental ill-health, reduced income, loneliness, substance abuse, homelessness, suicide contagion and crime as some of the potential consequences and concluded
‘The significant majority (85-90%) of bereaved people who do not require or will benefit from a clinical intervention may be helpfully supported by participating in The Bereavement Journey® and/or being signposted to suitable information and support services.’
In the light of this research, AtaLoss is calling for The Bereavement Journey® and its national signposting service to be integrated into NHS and public health pathways, as a key element of the Government’s new Health and Social Care Mission delivered in partnership with churches and others to ensure nationwide access.
*Nielsen, M. K., Pedersen, H. S., Sparle Christensen, K., Neergaard, M. A., Bidstrup, P. E., & Guldin, M.-B. (2025). Grief trajectories and long-term health effects in bereaved relatives: a prospective, population-based cohort study with ten-year follow-up. Frontiers in Public Health, 13, 1619730. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2025.1619730
AtaLoss is a UK wide charity helping bereaved people find support and wellbeing by raising awareness about the impact of bereavement; directing to help through the signposting website ataloss.org; and training and equipping community support, including through The Bereavement Journey® programme.
Yvonne Tulloch, CEO and Founder at AtaLoss or Roger Greene, Deputy CEO and former NHS Trust CEO are available by prior arrangement.
AtaLoss is holding a fringe meeting at the Liberal Democrat Conference on the impact of The Bereavement Journey® and accompanying signposting.
Media interviews can be arranged via WhatsApp message to Adam May on 07736 949 869 or press@ataloss.org
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