Crown Office move to manage Aberdeen post mortems ‘unprecedented’

The Crown Office has taken over management of post-mortem examinations in Aberdeen due to a shortage of qualified staff in the city.

Officials said the “unprecedented” move was necessary to “minimise distress” for bereaved families.

There has not been a full time forensic pathologist based in Aberdeen since 2022 and more than £100,000 was spent on locums last year.

NHS Grampian said it recognised the distress caused to families by any delay, but added it was meeting its legal and contractual obligations.

The health board also said that a new Integrated Mortuary building, due to open later this year, would hopefully help to recruit more staff.

The average waiting times for a post-mortem examination is currently around a week.

NHS Grampian said the shortage of trained professionals was a UK-wide issue, and that there are less than five training places in Scotland at any one time.

A Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service spokesperson said: “COPFS have taken unprecedented but necessary steps to ensure that these essential services are delivered in Aberdeen by temporarily managing post mortem services there.

“This is to ensure there are no gaps in the provision of these services and to minimise the distress to bereaved families.”

The spokesperson added that recruitment and training of pathologists was not a matter for the COPFS.

NHS Grampian has endured a challenging several months.

In November it declared a critical incident and warned it needed to reduce spending.

An NHS Grampian spokesperson stated: “Our obligations, as laid out in the Public Health etc (Scotland) Act 2008, is the provision of facilities to meet the requirements of those who have died on NHS Grampian premises. We are meeting those obligations.

“In addition, we currently have a contract to provide administrative support and some laboratory services to the Crown Office.”

The spokesperson highlighted the UK-wide shortage of appropriately trained staff.

They added: “We recognise any delay in the analysis of deaths is extremely distressing for families, at an already difficult time.”

The Scottish government told BBC Scotland News that “appropriate coverage” was being delivered by locums while the health board worked to establish a forensic pathology service.