Health boards issued with new rules over disposal of baby ashes

NEW guidelines have been introduced to make sure bereaved mothers can decide what happens with the remains of their children in the wake of Scotland’s baby ashes scandal.

Hundreds of heartbroken parents faced fresh grief in 2012 after it emerged the ashes of their dead babies were dumped in mass graves without their knowledge.

Health chiefs have now ruled that a binding contract is drawn up between medics and mothers to stop the ashes being disposed of without parents’ consent.

Hospital records must also be kept by health boards for a minimum of 50 years to ensure information about baby deaths is available.

The strict new guidelines have been introduced by Scotland’s chief medical officer, Dr Catherine Calderwood, and Fiona McQueen, interim nursing officer for medical staff. They state that crematoriums must ‘maximise the recovery of ashes’.

Arrangements relating to the disposal of baby remains must be authorised in writing by the child’s mother, who should be given a list of choices. And documents signed by the mother should clearly state that no ashes will be available for collection following a shared cremation involving other baby remains.

The revised guidelines add that records must be ‘accurate, clear and accessible’ and maintained electronically where possible.

An investigation was launched in 2012 after more than 250 families discovered their children’s ashes had been disposed of without their knowledge at Mortonhall crematorium in Edinburgh. Staff had secretly buried the ashes of hundreds of babies in cardboard boxes for decades while telling families there were no remains.

The Infant Cremation Commission was set up to investigate infant cremation throughout Scotland and staff were told to review their practices.

The commission, chaired by Lord Bonomy, made 64 recommendations and urged that new laws and guidelines should be issued to protect affected families.

The Scottish Government also established a national investigation team to look into all allegations which is headed by former Lord Advocate Dame Elish Angiolini.

Letters have now been sent to health boards across Scotland to make them aware of the new rules.