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

Service The Provision of mortuary services from Royal Stoke University Hospital (RSUH) for the use of the Senior Coroner for the county of Staffordshire, to an agreed quality, for an agreed price, with special provisions for the Home Office post mortems.

Overview The provider will make available for use, by arrangement between the Mortuary Manager or their approved deputy, UHNM Pathology, and the Senior Coroner or their officers, suitable mortuary facilities and the trained technical staff during the hours of 08.00 a.m. to 16.00 p.m., Mondays to Fridays, Bank holidays excepted.

Special provisions exist in the event of Home Office post mortems: Home Office post mortems a)Access to the Mortuary will be available to the Senior Coroner of the county of Staffordshire, his officers and persons authorised by H.M.Coroner, 24 hours a day and 365 days a year without hindrance, subject to professional courtesy and suitable notice.

Such persons authorised by the Senior Coroner may include: *Senior Coroner's officers *The Police *Scenes of Crimes Officers *Forensic Scientists under the supervision of police *Home office and other pathologists *Or anyone acting on the Senior Coroner's behalf. b)Where appropriate, twenty-four hours a day and seven days a week,

mortuary staff will be available within one hour of a request from Senior Coroner in Stoke on Trent and North Staffordshire or person authorised by the Senior Coroner. c)Where the PM Room is to be used in cases of serious criminal offences and subject to a minimum notice of one hour (preferably 3-4 hours),

the PM Room will be available for the exclusive use of the Senior Coroner's officer and/or any pathologist instructed by the Senior Coroner for the full duration of the post mortem. d)Access will be provided at all times for taking into storage any bodies under the jurisdiction of the Senior Coroner. Additionally, a secure unit capable of being locked will be available for any bodies either requiring freezing or cooling.

Service Description The Trust will use its best endeavours to provide the Services within the following parameters at all relevant times:

• Normal working hours are defined as Monday - Friday 8:00am - 16:00pm (except public/bank holidays)
• An on-call service is provided outside of normal working hours defined in 3.1.1
• Mortuary activities will be carried out by qualified APT's and those staff in training.
• Post Mortems conducted will be proportionate to staffing availability
• Viewing of bodies will be facilitated during normal working hours, for identification purposes by Persons authorised by the Senior Coroner. A separate viewing room with a glass partition will be provided and access to the body may be provided on request for bereaved relatives.
• The viewing gallery in the post mortem room will be used by observers at post mortems (e.g. Coroner's Officer, Police, Medical and Nursing students).
• Any Coronial staff using the mortuary will be expected to adhere to health and safety procedures as laid down in the policies of the Trust from time to time.
• The removal of, and recording of, all valuables and personal effects taken from the bodies of deceased persons who have been admitted under the jurisdiction of Senior Coroner for the County of Staffordshire is to be dealt with in accordance with Standard Operating Procedures (SOPS) MORTSOPRR020 Receipt Procedures and MORTSOP038 Release Procedures. These two SOPS cover the recording of valuables on bodies.
• Neither Party shall represent itself as being the other contracting Party nor an agent or employee of the other contracting Party neither shall they hold themselves out as such nor as having power or authority to incur any obligation of any nature expressed or implied on behalf of the other contracting Party.
• Bariatric Patients Post-Mortems
• Prison deaths (not considered Home Office)
• Home Office PM's
• Complex Post-Mortems not able to be dealt with at the Public Mortuary and deemed necessary by the Coroner
• A&E Deaths Accessibility/acceptability All hospital and *community deaths *(forensic) determined as requiring a post mortem examination by the Senior Coroner for the County of Staffordshire will be performed by Royal Stoke University Hospital Mortuary, or at one of the other mortuaries in the North Midlands and Cheshire Pathology Service Network (NMCPS) as determined and agreed with HM Coroner for Staffordshire.

Community deaths in Staffordshire will be dealt with by the public mortuary in Harthill. Interdependencies Good communication between the mortuaries and the Coroners officers to: inform of changes in workload; potential delays; urgent cases. Staffordshire police Funeral directors Sub-contractors Consultant pathologists utilising all mortuaries as approved by the Senior Coroner for the County of Staffordshire.

An external reference laboratory will be used when the consultant Histopathologists request specialist examination which is usually brains and hearts. These circumstances are usually sudden or unexplained deaths. Training & Education Staff attend relevant and appropriate training courses/events, lectures and workshops and practice CPD.

All staff hold appropriate qualifications for their grade. Anatomical Pathology Technologists will be in possession of the certificate/level 3 of anatomical pathology technology. All UHNM staff will attend Trust mandatory training courses in line with the Trust policies.