Provision of Mortuary services to HM Coroner for the County of Staffordshire

Service Description

The service will provide mortuary and post-mortem facilities and associated services to support coronial investigations into deaths within Staffordshire.

The service will provide appropriate mortuary facilities for the secure receipt, storage, care and release of deceased persons referred under the jurisdiction of the Senior Coroner for Staffordshire.

The service will provide facilities and appropriately qualified and competent staff to undertake post-mortem examinations as required by the Senior Coroner. This will include support for routine, complex and other post-mortem examinations where appropriate facilities and expertise are required.

The service will provide appropriate facilities to enable authorised viewing and identification of deceased persons, including facilities for bereaved relatives where required. Suitable facilities will also be available for authorised observers attending post-mortem examinations, including Coroners' Officers, Police representatives and relevant medical or nursing students.

The service will operate during normal working hours, Monday to Friday, 08:00 to 16:00, excluding public and bank holidays, with appropriate out-of-hours/on-call arrangements to support urgent coronial requirements.

The service will accommodate hospital and community deaths in Staffordshire requiring a post-mortem examination following referral by the Senior Coroner. Post-mortem examinations may be undertaken at Royal Stoke University Hospital Mortuary or another appropriate mortuary facility within the relevant pathology service network, as agreed with the Senior Coroner.

The service will also support digital post-mortem examinations where required by the Senior Coroner. This will include appropriate arrangements for the secure holding and transfer of deceased persons to a designated facility for digital imaging and any subsequent examination required.

The service may be required to accommodate additional or non-standard post-mortem examinations, including bariatric cases, prison or deaths in custody, complex cases that cannot be undertaken at the public mortuary, and deaths occurring within emergency departments where a post-mortem examination is required.

The service will support mortuary requirements arising from Bradwell Hospital, Leek Moorlands Hospital, Longton Cottage Hospital and Haywood Hospital.

The service will require effective liaison and coordination with Coroners' Officers, Staffordshire Police, funeral directors, healthcare providers and other relevant organisations involved in the coronial process. This will include communication regarding workload, urgent cases, anticipated delays, transfer arrangements and the release of deceased persons.

The service will be delivered in accordance with all applicable legislation, regulatory requirements, professional standards and relevant health and safety, infection prevention and control requirements.