Wolverhampton woman left shocked after receiving her own death certificate
A BLACK COUNTRY mother has been left ‘absolutely disgusted’ after being sent a death certificate with her name on it in the post.
Agnes Jones, aged 76, from Old Fallings Lane, Bushbury, Wolverhampton, was shocked when post arrived for her late husband – who has been dead for 30 years.
But she was even more taken back when she opened the envelope to discover it was what appeared to be her own death certificate.
According to the paper copy, which was sent by PPI firm Gladstone Brookes, Mrs Jones, who has lived in Wolverhampton for 51 years, had died on July 10, 2015 from lung cancer.
The certificate also appeared to list her late husband, Phillip Henry Jones, as her son and Alan Jones, her youngest son, as her husband.
On closer inspection Mrs Jones realised that the certificate was actually meant for an Agnes Jones, of Sportsmans Drive in Oldham, who died around two years ago.
But the pensioner, who has worked at New Cross hospital in Wolverhampton for 37 years, said she was left shaken and upset.
Arrived
She said: “This letter arrived addressed to my husband, who has been dead for 30 years, and it was a death certificate for someone called by my name.
“It had my youngest son listed as my husband and my late husband listed as my son.
“I died two years ago from lung cancer apparently. I thought it was absolutely disgusting, it really shook me up especially as I had a really close friend who had died from lung cancer.
“Someone has clearly not been doing their job properly for me to receive this. It really upset me.
“It is not very often you get to look at your own death certificate.”
Mrs Jones added that her three sons, Alan, Anthony and Andrew, are ‘not very happy about it’.
Mrs Jones still has the certificate and has been unable to get hold of Gladstone Brookes, despite repeated attempts.
The firm was contacted by the Express & Star but never responded.
“It is just so coincidental, what are the chances of the names of my husband and one of my sons being the same as well?” added Mrs Jones.
“The envelope with the death certificate in was not even recorded delivery it was just shoved through the letterbox. I hope this does not happen again to someone else.”
Originally from Rochdale, Mrs Jones worked in the pharmacy at New Cross for 26 years before moving onto the wards, where she has been for the past 11 years.
