Bodies ‘at risk’ of being mixed up by hospital mortuary

THERE was “significant risk” of bodies being mixed up at a Devon mortuary, an inspection has found.

A report by the Human Tissue Authority found that the mortuary had poor record keeping and inadequate procedures for identifying people who had died outside of the hospital.

The poor practice at Torbay Hospital meant there was “a significant risk of misidentification,” an inspection found.

Inspectors had “serious concerns” about security as staff were able to freely access the mortuary, and a fridge where the bodies of foetuses and babies were kept was not locked.

It was found that key equipment was faulty, with rust on trolleys and an area around an oscillating saw, and that poor ventilation “poses significant risks to the health and safety of staff ”.

Dr Rob Dyer, medical director for Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust, said the hospital had improved ventilation, installed new equipment, ensured good fridge temperature monitoring, and updated some policies and procedures.