Post-mortem service in 'crisis', causing delays to funerals of more than a week

"Grieving families are increasingly having to delay burying relatives because of hold-ups in carrying out post-mortems in multiple counties. The post-mortems, ordered by coroners to find cause of death, are resulting in funerals taking place later than wished, with delays of several days or more than a week in some parts of the country, adding to the distress of the bereaved."

Post-mortem backlogs in multiple UK counties are causing significant delays in funeral arrangements for grieving families. Coroners order post-mortems to determine causes of death, but staffing shortages are preventing timely completion of these procedures. Families face delays of several days to over a week before funerals can proceed, compounding their emotional distress. The situation has prompted calls for urgent action to address the shortage of pathologists and medical examiners. The UK has responded by flying in doctors from abroad to help cover the staffing gaps and reduce the backlog of cases.

Read at Independent