Mortuary under fire (From Warrington Guardian)

Mortuary under fire

TWO grieving families have urged their local councillor to take action over the state of the mortuary at St Helens Hospital.

And Marshalls Cross Councillor John Beirne has now written to the chief executive of St Helens and Knowsley Health Authority, to express his disgust.

Over a space of four months, one of the families, whose names Cllr Beirne said he will not release, lost their mother and one lost a son.

But when they visited the mortuary, they claim to have found it 'hostile and severe'.

Among the list of complaints was the lack of dignity when the distressed families had to wait in the hospital corridor when they collected the death certificates.

They also claimed that they were made to wait an unreasonable amount of time before they were able to see the bodies.

The light bulbs in the mortuary were not working and some members of staff, they allege, tried to dissuade them from seeing their loved ones.

Body covers

The families asked about how the transfer took place from the wards to the mortuary and were upset to be told by a porter that the body covers were not waterproof.

Cllr Beirne added that there isn't even a bereavement counselling service at St Helens Hospital.

He contacted the manager of the mortuary, who he claims, said that he would not be able to inspect the premises himself.

He said: "I was disgusted. I assumed that it had have been a member of my family that I would be able to see them one last time."

"My letter to the chief executive is clear - relatives feel that bodies are not being held in a dignified and respectful manner and families are being discouraged from visiting their loved ones."