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Action plan in the event of the decease of a student at the Faculty of Medicine

This action plan was adopted by the Faculty of Medicine Undergraduate Education Board on 26 May 2016 and revised on 24 August 2017. 

In order to prevent the spread of rumours, it is important that knowledge of what happened is disseminated to those concerned rapidly and correctly and that everyone knows who is doing what. Students and teachers concerned must be given the opportunity to process the emotions that result from the event.

Each programme board is responsible for ensuring that everyone listed below, or their equivalents, has access to an updated action plan. 

  • Programme Board Chair 
  • Programme director/Operational programme manager or equivalent 
  • Educational Coordinator (secretary of the Programme Board) 
  • Level Manager
  • Phase Manager 
  • Orientation Manager 
  • Term Managers 
  • Course Managers 
  • Course secretaries 
  • Student counsellors  
  • The chairs of student union sections at the Faculty of Medicine 

In addition, brief information must be published on the Faculty of Medicine Intramed stating that this action plan has been established and referring to the Coordinator for the educational programme concerned. 

The COORDINATOR for each programme is the operationally responsible/programme director, currently: 

The occupational therapist programme 
Lisa Ekstam, +46 46 222 19 98, lisa [dot] ekstam [at] med [dot] lu [dot] se (lisa[dot]ekstam[at]med[dot]lu[dot]se)

The audiologist programme 
Jonas Brännström, jonas [dot] brannstrom [at] med [dot] lu [dot] se (jonas[dot]brannstrom[at]med[dot]lu[dot]se)

Biomedicine - bachelor and master programmes 
Maria Swanberg, +46 46 222 06 12, maria [dot] swanberg [at] med [dot] lu [dot] se (maria[dot]swanberg[at]med[dot]lu[dot]se)

The physiotherapist programme 
Anne Sundén, +46 46 222 89 57, anne [dot] sunden [at] med [dot] lu [dot] se (anne[dot]sunden[at]med[dot]lu[dot]se)

The speech therapy programme 
Sara Wiberg, +46 46 222 42 77, sara [dot] wiberg [at] med [dot] lu [dot] se (sara[dot]wiberg[at]med[dot]lu[dot]se)

The medical doctor programme 
Sara Regnér, sara [dot] regner [at] med [dot] lu [dot] se (sara[dot]regner[at]med[dot]lu[dot]se)

Complementary training doctor, KUL 
Anders Gottsäter, anders [dot] gottsater [at] med [dot] lu [dot] se (anders[dot]gottsater[at]med[dot]lu[dot]se)

Nursing programme 
Anneli Jönsson, +46 46 222 18 34, anneli [dot] jonsson [at] med [dot] lu [dot] se (anneli[dot]jonsson[at]med[dot]lu[dot]se)

The X-ray nursing programme 
Jenny Gårdling, +46 46 222 19 03, jenny [dot] gardling [at] med [dot] lu [dot] se (jenny[dot]gardling[at]med[dot]lu[dot]se) 

The midwifery programme 
Maria Ekelin, +46 46 222 19 39, maria [dot] ekelin [at] med [dot] lu [dot] se (maria[dot]ekelin[at]med[dot]lu[dot]se)

The specialist nursing programmes, 7 specialisations 
Ulf Jakobsson, ulf [dot] jakobsson [at] med [dot] lu [dot] se (ulf[dot]jakobsson[at]med[dot]lu[dot]se)

Master's in public health 
Benedict Oppong Asamoah, +46 40 39 14 01, benedict_oppong [dot] asamoah [at] med [dot] lu [dot] se (benedict_oppong[dot]asamoah[at]med[dot]lu[dot]se)

Health science base year, Master programme in medical science and stand-alone courses
Connie Lethin, +46 46 222 18 12, connie [dot] lethin [at] med [dot] lu [dot] se (connie[dot]lethin[at]med[dot]lu[dot]se)

If information about the incident is first communicated to the Department, Course Director or other individual, the person receiving the information must immediately contact the Coordinator.

Areas of responsibility for Coordinator and Action Plan 

  • The Coordinator should first check that the information about the decease is correct. 
  • The Coordinator, who bears overall responsibility notifies:
    • The Chair of the Programme Board for the relevant educational programme
    • The Study Adviser for the relevant educational programme
    • The Vice Dean of undergraduate education
    • The teacher concerned, for example: level manager/course manager/term manager/phase manager/specialisation manager/course manager/clinical teachers/supervisors in work integrated learning
    • Student association concerned (Medicinska föreningen, VÅVS, SSGI)
    • Student health
    • Head of the Education Unit at the Faculty of Medicine
    • Head of Communications at the Faculty of Medicine
    • The Head of Communications in turn notifies the Head of Department, Assistant Head of Department for undergraduate and postgraduate levels, Head of Operations at the building concerned (BMC, CRC) plus Head of the Faculty International Office. 

Please keep in mind that the teachers who have teaching sessions with students and who knew the student involved may need to be prepared as it may be necessary to discuss what happened. 

The Faculty Office Communication Section can be contacted to gain access to, for example, e-mails to teachers and students used to notify previous deaths.

  • The Coordinator immediately convenes the Crisis Group for a brief meeting and review of action plan as concerns planning/distribution of responsibilities/tasks in connection with crisis management. It is proposed that the Crisis Group consist of a study adviser, course manager and relevant teacher. The Coordinator is responsible for updating the Crisis Group contact list on an annual basis. 
  • Coordinators are responsible, together with course managers or equivalent, for meetings with relevant students taking place once or twice at intervals of a few days. In the event that the students are on work integrated learning, they are to be immediately called together for a joint briefing. The information meeting must be provided with a dignified, beautiful setting with lit candles, flowers and possibly quiet music to provide a calm, warm atmosphere. The student chaplain and/or person from Student Health may also be present if necessary. 
  • The Coordinator is responsible for informing staff at Reception (BMC, CRC) so that flowers and a lighted candle are kept in Reception for the first few weeks after the decease. For students at the Departments of Audiology/Speech Therapy and students in Helsingborg, a suitable place is chosen in consultation with each course manager. 
    This is an option and is not compulsory. 
  • The Coordinator notifies the service staff so that flags are flown at half-mast on the day of the decease, or the day after. While flagging is ongoing, information about who has passed away can be found in each Reception (BMC, CRC, in the receptions there are white wooden frames and templates for the information).
    Flagging is an option and is not a compulsory.
  • The Coordinator is responsible for ordering flowers for the funeral, which are paid for by the Programme Board. 
  • If the student passes away during vacation time, the Coordinator is responsible for informing the previous and incoming course leaders. The student group is informed in connection with the event. The Programme Manager or equivalent arranges a simpler meeting with the student chaplain. A memorial service is held at the start of the term. Otherwise, the points above are implemented in applicable parts.
  • The Coordinator is responsible for
    • Contact with relatives
    • Information to other relevant personnel 
  • The memorial service is mainly organized for students and staff within the relevant educational programme. The memorial service must be non-denominational.
    • Sufficiently large, suitable premises should be chosen.
    • Keep in mind that everyone who wants to participate should have a place to be able to sit down if there are joint ceremonies.
    • If a smaller venue is preferred, the memorial should be designed so that people can come and go for a couple of hours.
    • Relevant staff should be available at all times (e.g. study adviser, teacher, student chaplain and/or staff from Student Health) to provide support and counselling.
    • A memory book to sign for those who so wish may be available in connection with the memorial service.
    • If you wish to light candles - remember to first check with the premises manager if this is permitted.
    • A box of accessories for the memorial, such as tablecloths and candles, can be borrowed from the Faculty Office Communications Department.
    • The Faculty Office Communications Section can be contacted to access examples of memorial speeches that have been used at previous memorial services. 
  • The coordinator is responsible, together with the Chair of the student association concerned, for all students in the relevant programme/education receiving information about these events and about the memorial service. In order to protect privacy and relatives, the message must be kept brief and contain information about the name, term and when the death occurred. Notice of the memorial service should be sent out two days before it is to be held so that as many people as possible receive the information in time to be able to participate.

The Vice Dean of Undergraduate Education 

  • Is responsible for any statements to the press in consultation with the Faculty Head of Communications. For inquiries from the media, please refer to the Vice Dean. 

Possible venues in Lund
SUS Lund: lecture halls at Blocket (the hospital's central buidning)
BMC: Fernström Hall, lecture halls, halls in the I building

Possible venues in Malmö 
SUS Malmö: CRC auditorium 

Possible venues in Helsingborg 
Helsingborg Hospital; The lecture hall on floor S, Röntgen's round room on floor S, teaching rooms at the Study Centre 

International exchange students and international master's students 

The action plan is followed as above. In addition: 

  • Addresses of relatives of outgoing and incoming exchange students are available from the Coordinator at the International Office at the Faculty of Medicine. Also applies to free movers managed by the International Office. In the event of a decease, the country's embassy should be contacted for further information on what has been done and informing next of kin. 
  • For incoming international students on master's programmes, addresses of relatives are available from the administrative coordinator (or equivalent) for the programme. In the event of a decease, the country's embassy should be contacted for further information on what has been done and informing next of kin. 
  • For incoming international students within the research groups that are not administered by the International Office, the research group manager must be contacted.

Expert assistance

In crisis situations, expert assistance is often necessary, for example to carry out support counselling with groups or individuals. Student Health, the student or hospital chaplain et cetera can be helpful. 

Student health 
Reception, +46 46 222 43 77  

The student chaplains (can also mediate contacts regarding other religions): 
Office: +46 46 35 87 35  
Student chaplains (the Church of Sweden's website, in Swedish)

Hospital chaplain Lund: +46 46 17 17 39, +46 46 17 17 29
Hospital chaplain Lund (the Church of Sweden's website, in Swedish) 

Hospital chaplain Malmö: +46 40 33 10 00 ask for Hospital Chapel
Hospital Chaplain Malmö (the Church of Sweden's website, in Swedish)

Hospital Chaplain Helsingborg: +46 42 406 10 00 ask for Hospital Chapel
Hospital Chaplain Helsingborg (the Church of Sweden's website, in Swedish)