Public health funerals 2011

The survey was sent via email to 348 Heads of Environmental Health across England and Wales, and was in the field over the course of September and early October 2011. A total of 159 responses were received – a response rate of 46 per cent.

Key findings

• The median average number of public health funerals conducted per authority in 2010/11 was five.
• This differed by authority types – for English single tier authorities the median was 11, in district authorities the median average was four and for Welsh authorities it was three. For all authority types, this is broadly consistent with the median number of funerals conducted in the previous two financial years.
• A small number of authorities dealt with a significantly higher number of public health funerals, with one authority organising 266 in 2010/11.
• The majority of these funerals were for men, with respondents reporting that on average just over three quarters (76 per cent) of public health funerals conducted in 2010/11 were for males.
• In 2010/11, respondents reported that on average half (51 per cent) of the funerals they organised were for those aged 65 and over, with an average of 41 per cent for those aged 16 – 64.
• The estimated total number of public health funerals carried out by local authorities across England and Wales in 2010/11 was 2,900 – this has remained fairly stable over the period 2008/09 to 2010/11.
• In 2010/11, the median average total spend across all authorities was £3,900. The median average by English single tier authorities was £10,500, in district authorities it was £2,500 and in Welsh unitaries it was £2,400.
• The estimated total cost of public health funerals carried out by local authorities across England and Wales in 2010/11 was £2.1 million. This has remained fairly stable over the period 2008/09 to 2010/11.  

Date: October 2011

Public health funerals 2011 - final report

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