Basingstoke and north hampshire hospital pathology user handbook

Routine Post Mortems
For a Routine Post Mortem to be requested you must be able to certify the death. If not the case should be referred to the Coroner for a Coroners Post Mortem. Should a routine Post Mortem be requested, a signed appropriate consent will be required (normally obtained by your consultant). The Patients' & Relative Support Manager, (ext 4777, bleep 1100) will arrange for the relatives to be spoken to in the office on B level (normally between 0900 to 1200 hr). Wherever possible we avoid relatives having to return to the ward. They deal with patient’s personal possessions and advising relatives about registering the death with the Registrar, the death certificate, funeral and cremation arrangements. The Patients & Relative Support Manager will always be willing to advise you.
The patient's notes together with the completed request form and signed permission from the next of kin are forwarded by the Patient & Relative Support Manager to the Mortuary. It is the responsibility of the Doctor to ensure prompt transfer of the patient notes etc. to the Patient & Relative Support Manager to avoid delay and distress to relatives anxious to proceed with funeral arrangements. Please put the signed consent form attached to the front of the patient's notes with the PM request form in an envelope and "post" through the letter box provided in the Patient & Relative Support Manager office outside normal working hours. Failure to carry out this procedure may result in the request being overlooked or delayed, leading to added distress to the relatives.
Post mortems will normally be performed the morning of the next working day after the paper work is received in the mortuary.
The Death Certificate must be completed before the Post Mortem so that relatives are not delayed organising the funeral. Provided the box on the death certificate is marked, the OPCS will write to the Pathologist at a later date asking whether the PM findings alter the certified cause(s) of death. This information is then used for statistical purposes only.
Please write your name and bleep number clearly so that you can be invited to attend. If it is not possible for you to attend, the Pathologist will normally bleep you with the findings later. A written report is sent to the consultant with a copy to the patient's GP, provided this information is given on the request form.
Danger of Infection

Please contact the Consultant Histopathologist where there is a known or suspected infection (e.g. Hepatitis B, C, HIV, and Tuberculosis). A Post Mortem will not normally be carried out. A risk assessment will be made and a modified procedure may be possible. The request form should be clearly marked.