Mortuary help and general information is available on extension 7743, Mon-Fri 08:00-16:00.
The requesting Doctor must contact, in the first instance, ext. 7059/ 7743 who will advise of post mortem request process. Clinical post mortems will be considered after a pathologist is approached and MCCD has been issued. Mortuary and bereavement staff will advise accordingly.
This is subject to a written consent being given by the family and obtained by a trained consent taker. Please ring ext 7743 for further information.
The Coroner's Officer (0118 937 2300) should be informed of all deaths occurring within the following categories:
In cases where there is any doubt, it is safest to seek advice from the Coroner's Officers.
If there is to be a Coroner's post mortem, the Coroner's Officers will usually obtain the hospital notes and append a summary for the pathologist based on the information supplied by the referring doctor.
This may not supply all relevant medical facts in some instances and a separate brief summary form may be used by the referring clinician in order to supply the relevant appropriate medical details to the Pathologist This will be attached to the clinical notes and sent to the Mortuary.
The majority of post mortems carried out in the Trust are ordered by the Coroner (Mr P Bedford, HM Coroner for Reading, Berkshire). Most of these cases arise as deaths in the community. However, a significant number of Coroner's autopsies are carried out on inpatients or patients who are under active outpatient supervision at time of death.
In all instances post mortem reports are made available to the general practitioner concerned and to the attending clinicians where relevant. In the case of people who die whilst under outpatient supervision, this entails the Coroner's Officers obtaining the clinical notes from the relevant clinician's secretary and passing them to the histopathologist who will be carrying out the post-mortem. The notes will be returned with a copy of the post mortem report.
In the majority of cases the Pathologist will supply a cause of death based on the macroscopic findings at post mortem. This will be passed to the Coroner's Officer who will then pass this on to the clinician and to the Coroner.
In controversial cases or where the case may be the subject of a complaint, the Coroner may occasionally invite an outside Pathologist to carry out the autopsy.
If the case is likely to result in an inquest, the attending clinician will be asked to write a report summarising the clinical course of the case which will then be used as a basis for his/her evidence at the inquest. In the case of complex cases subject to a Coroner's post mortem examination e.g. post operative deaths, the pathologist carrying out the post mortem will contact the clinician concerned either following the post mortem examination or, if appropriate before the examination starts. Clinicians are always welcome to review the post mortem findings in the mortuary and/or discuss them with the pathologist.
The Coroner is able to authorise the Pathologist conducting the post mortem to carry out histological examination, toxicology, microbiology investigations, and if necessary, to retain relevant tissue only if the pathologist is unable to arrive at a conclusion as to the cause of death after the post mortem and provided these investigations contribute materially to establishing the cause of death. The Coroner cannot authorise histological examination other than in this context.
In some cases, organs may be sent off for further medical opinion. This can sometimes delay the release of the deceased.
There are many instances where there are good clinical, audit, and educational reasons for histological examination in addition to providing complete information for relatives even though this may not directly contribute to the precise final cause of death.
The Human Tissue Act (HTA) Code of Practice on Post Mortem Examination updates and replaces: Families and post mortems : a code of practice (and related information leaflets and forms) produced by the Department of Health in April 2003. This Code relates to the removal, storage, use and disposal of human tissue and organs.
The Code of Practice can be viewed and downloaded from this link on the HTA website.
These autopsies are carried out at the Department of Paediatric Pathology at the John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford. To arrange for the baby to be sent to the John Radcliffe Hospital, please contact the Labour Ward on ext. 7703.
The baby should be accompanied by the clinical notes and a consent form signed by the parents (even in cases of under 23 weeks gestational age). If possible the placenta should always accompany the foetus.
Viewings of the deceased patient should normally be carried out on the ward, or in the premises of the funeral director.
In circumstances where this creates difficulties viewing in the hospital mortuary can be arranged, by appointment, between the hours of 9:00am and 4:00pm Monday to Friday (except Bank Holidays). To make an appointment contact the Bereavement Office on ext 7059 or the Mortuary Office on ext 7743, subject to the MCCD being issued.
Viewings outside these hours in the hospital mortuary can only be arranged in exceptional circumstances. Coronial deaths will need consent of the Coroner’s Office.