Post Mortems and Tissue Retentions

The request was successful.

Dear Wye Valley NHS Trust,

I write concerning the arrangements for coronial post mortems and home office forensic post mortems during the period 1999 to the present time

1. Can you please advise whether whether these are conducted on your site/s

2. Are hospital staff involved or available to be involved in the process of conducting these post mortems and if so please indicate to what extent.

3. In the case of retention of organs or body tissues arising in these cases
are hospital staff involved in the process of taking these tissues to a place of retention and was that always so during the period in question

4. Does the hospital and in particular the department or staff involved see itself/themselves as having any (at all) legal or ethical responsibility
in respect of these post mortems and any initial taking of the organs/tissues and ongoing retentions notwithstanding that they are required for criminal justice investigatory/evidential purposes
or otherwise non criminal justice related coronial post mortems and therefore not the routine responsibility in relation to the hospitals own post mortems

5. Do/did hospital staff have access to the areas where the retained materials from these post mortems are stored or is this confined only to pathologists instructed by the Coroner whether Home Office pathologists or not

6. In 2010 a national; audit was required by the Human Tissue Authority.
As a result of that audit what was found by your trust (in so far as coronial/home office post mortems was required and what changes did you make

7. As regards the audit that was required were your staff actually involved in that (institutions having been requested to do an audit) independently or only under supervision or other participation of third parties such as police/home office pathologists for example.

Your help with this information would be appreciated.

Yours faithfully,

A Brown

Clark, Susan, Wye Valley NHS Trust

WYE VALLEY NHS TRUST
Trust Headquarters
County Hospital
Union Walk
Hereford
HR1 2ER
Tel: 01432 364000
Fax: 01432 365410

Email: [Wye Valley NHS Trust request email]

11th April 2014

Dear Sir or Madam

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT 2000 – INFORMATION REQUEST 3670

Thank you for your request for information received by Wye Valley NHS Trust on 10th April 2014. I am dealing with it under the terms of the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

You will receive the information requested within 20 working days unless the Trust does not hold the information or there is a reason for it to be withheld. I will write to you in any event.

In some circumstances a fee may be payable and if that is the case I will let you know. A fees notice will be issued to you, and you will be required to pay before I will proceed to deal with your request.

If you have any queries or concerns then please contact me, contact details are given at the top of the letter.

Further information about Freedom of Information Act 2000 is also available from the Information Commissioner at:

Information Commissioner’s Office
Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF

Telephone: 01625 545 745 www.ico.gov.uk

Yours faithfully

S. Clark
FREEDOM OF INFORMATION CO-ORDINATOR
Wye Valley NHS Trust

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Clark, Susan, Wye Valley NHS Trust

WYE VALLEY NHS TRUST
Trust Headquarters
County Hospital
Union Walk
Hereford
HR1 2ER
Tel: 01432 364000

Email: [Wye Valley NHS Trust request email]

5th June 2014

Dear Sir or Madam

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT 2000 – INFORMATION REQUEST 3670

I apologise for the length of time it has taken to respond to your request for information. It has been considered and I am directed to inform you that the information requested is below:
1. Coronial post-mortems (PMs) are conducted on this site at Hereford County Hospital; Home Office forensic PMs are not – they are conducted at Sandwell.

2. The following hospital staff are involved in coronial PMs: anatomical pathology technicians, who administer the mortuary and prepare the body for examination, and consultant pathologists, who undertake the examinations.

3. Yes. Tissues are stored in the histology laboratory and all issues relating to retention, disposal and record keeping are undertaken in compliance with the Human Tissue Act (2004).

4. Coronial PMs are carried out on behalf of HM Coroner who retains ultimate legal responsibility but the answer to the question is yes – all activities are undertaken in compliance with the Human Tissue Act which imposes both a legal and an ethical responsibility of which all staff are fully aware.

5. The laboratory staff in histology have access to the area where materials are retained, as well as pathologists.

6. This audit took two forms: one was a self-assessment rating against the HTA standards; we were compliant fully in all bar one – that information about consent be available in Braille. We made the information available in this format after the audit. The other was a more detailed self-assessment questionnaire. We were again compliant in all applicable elements of this bar the one noted above. The following year we were visited by the HTA on a site inspection visit, who acknowledged our complete compliance with all relevant standards.

7. Wye Valley NHS Trust staff were involved in the audit independently (Home Office PMs were no longer carried out here at the time of the audit); The audit was carried out by a designated individual and was assisted by the nominated person.

If you have any queries or concerns contact details are given at the top of the letter. Please remember to quote the reference number above in any future communications.

If you are unhappy with the service you have received in relation to your request and wish to make a complaint or request a review of our decision, you should write to:

Nicola Licence
Company Secretary
Wye Valley NHS Trust
Trust Headquarters
The County Hospital
Hereford
HR1 2ER

Email: [email address]

If you are not content with the outcome of your complaint, you may apply directly to the Information Commissioner for a decision. The Information Commissioner can be contacted at:

Information Commissioner’s Office
Wycliffe House,
Water Lane,
Wilmslow,
Cheshire, SK9 5AF

Telephone: 01625 545 745 www.ico.gov.uk

Yours faithfully

S. Clark
FREEDOM OF INFORMATION CO-ORDINATOR
Wye Valley NHS Trust

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