31/07/2026
This is a statement from the NAFD regarding the legacy funeral director in hull.
ROBERT BUSH SENTENCING
STATEMENT FROM ANDREW JUDD, NAFD CEO
This has been a very dark week for the funeral sector.
I started in this profession when I was 16. My first lesson in funeral service was to treat the dead and their family as if they were my own and to always act with integrity and respect by doing the right thing in the right way, particularly when nobody else was watching. Caring for the dead has always been my North Star.
Robert Bush failed beyond belief to do this.
Causing such widespread harm and leaving a path of unspeakable destruction, Bush’s horrendous actions have inflicted levels of hurt, pain and trauma on so many people who, in their darkest hours of grief were misled. We will never truly understand the agony that they have gone through.
Every one of us in this profession will have thought of those families this week. They have fought a courageous campaign for justice and answers. Standing up in court to tell the world the devastation that they saw has taken such bravery. The scar that they are now left with will never go away.
How do we ensure that this never happens again?
At the NAFD, our mission is to create a future where no funeral director ever fails in their first priority – to safeguard the dead and the living.
The cries for regulation have been heard loud and clear. We wholeheartedly support them. We have long held this position – we want to see the introduction of statutory regulation of all funeral directors. We cannot stick with the status quo. I speak with conviction, determination and resolve on behalf of over 3,800 member funeral homes in the UK and all who you work with. We are horrified by these crimes and will continue to do all we can to restore trust and bring about change.
The vast majority of funeral directors like you act with professionalism and care, but one failure for anyone in their hour of need is one too many. Those funeral directors who decide to operate in the shadows must be held accountable to the same standards that you, our members, opt in to.
We have long carried the frustration that anybody can currently avoid the obligations and responsibilities that membership brings. Worse, some will freely abuse their positions of trust by cutting corners and not investing in the right people, premises, equipment or culture.
Those who are deliberately evading the oversight and reassurance already available from trade associations and misleading their local communities do not deserve to operate.
That is precisely the gap statutory regulation must close. You can help close that gap. Talk to your own clients about what your NAFD membership certificate means and why it matters. And if you know of a business in your area operating in a way that evades scrutiny, tell us. We are building the evidence base the Government needs to act.
We are working closely with the Government at all levels, leading, not following the conversation about the future regulation of the funeral sector. We have effective and regular lines of communication with the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) and other relevant Government departments, and have established strong relationships with MPs who share our commitment to improving standards and protecting bereaved families. Care of the deceased is not a party political issue; it matters to us all.
Many of you may have seen the very recent announcement from the DHSC that the Government intends to take urgent action to crack down on rogue funeral operators. This includes:
driving forward tougher oversight, including options for regulating the funeral sector, following instances of unacceptable practice;
leading cross-government work to ensure deceased people and their families are treated with the dignity and respect they deserve;
beginning this work urgently following the sentencing of funeral director Robert Bush today.
The NAFD spoke with the Government in advance of this announcement and welcomes the clear commitment to action. We will work closely and constructively with Ministers and officials as the proposals are developed and through the forthcoming consultation, ensuring that the experience and expertise of our members help shape a proportionate and effective regulatory framework.
We will continue to be a trusted advisor to the Government, making the case for regulation that protects bereaved families, raises standards across the whole sector and recognises the professionalism and integrity of the overwhelming majority of funeral directors.
NAFD has proposed an amendment to the Health Bill put forward by Mark Sewards MP to make our case for this and open the legislative gateway to statutory regulation. We will continue to work closely with Westminster, Cardiff and Belfast, shaping what the future looks like, working in the interests of all to bring about proportionate and effective change.
We have written to the new Secretary of State for Health and Social Care and look forward to meeting her at the earliest opportunity to continue our constructive dialogue.
We have offered to meet with our new Prime Minister on your behalf, and we will continue to press for a clear timetable for implementation that delivers consistent standards, strengthens public confidence and provides greater protection for bereaved families.
Our call for reform is about safeguarding the dead. They cannot protect themselves. That responsibility falls not only on the Government but on the rest of us. And it is a responsibility that the NAFD will always uphold.
We owe it not only to Robert Bush’s victims, but to all those faced with grief.
Funerals matter – we only get one chance to get it right.
As a trade association, we will continue to fight for high standards to ensure that we never hear the shocking stories aired this week ever again.
