Post mortem how is it done

Read more about death certificates. While waiting for the post-mortem report, the coroner may give you an Interim Certificate of the Fact of Death. You may be able to use this instead of a standard death certificate as acceptable evidence for banks, insurance companies and other institutions, but you should check with each institution that it meets their requirements.

If someone is a registered organ donor, but their death has to be reported to a coroner, the coroner and next of kin must give permission before organs can be donated. Where the coroner grants permission for donation, the post-mortem examination will be of limited scope. In general, the coroner will agree to requests for organ donation where possible, as organ donors save the lives of countless people each year.

Read more about body and organ donation in Ireland. In May , the Department of Health commissioned a report into post-mortem practice and procedures.

The Madden Report looked at post-mortem practice in Ireland including organ retention in relation to children who were born alive but died aged under 12 between and If you have a question about this topic you can contact the Citizens Information Phone Service on 07 Monday to Friday, 9am to 8pm.

Skip to main content. What happens during a post mortem Breadcrumbs. There is no cost to the family if a post mortem is carried out.

Where the post mortem will be carried out A post mortem is usually carried out at the nearest hospital that has a mortuary and a pathologist. How long it takes The pathologist will try to do the post mortem as soon as possible — usually the next working day. What happens after the post mortem Post mortem report Straight after the post mortem, the pathologist will provide a provisional report which is only for the use of the coroner.

Find out more about coronial inquiries A representative from Coronial Services will pass this information on to you. Find out more about what happens when body tissue samples are taken When the body is released to you After the coroner has said the person can be released from the mortuary, you can organise to have them picked up and plan the funeral.

Forensic pathologists investigate deaths where there are medico-legal implications, for example, suspected murder, death in custody and other complex medico-legal cases. In such circumstances, a legal defence team e. This is allowed, because otherwise, the accused person could allege that the post-mortem was not carried out properly, resulting in the court case being dismissed without a clear outcome.

Retention of organs and tissue If the pathologist thinks it is necessary, the coroner will retain tissue blocks and slides. Similarly if there is a possibility of criminal involvement in the death, the tissue may be needed by the police as evidence, separate to the need of the coroner.

In both cases, the tissue samples, blocks and slides or organs may need to be kept for several months or, in some cases, years. If tissue samples and organs have been retained, you should expect to be given a choice about what happens to them when they are no longer needed by the coroner. These investigations can take several weeks to complete.

Once release papers have been issued, the undertakers you have appointed will be able to collect the body from the mortuary in preparation for the funeral. If the post-mortem was requested by the coroner, the coroner or coroner's officer will let you know the cause of death determined by the pathologist. If you want a full copy of the pathologist's report, you can request this from the coroner's office, but there may be a fee.

In some cases, the report may be sent to a hospital doctor or GP so they can discuss it with you. If the post-mortem was requested by a hospital doctor, you'll have to request the results from the hospital where the post-mortem took place. You may be charged a small fee for this.

You can arrange to discuss the results with the doctor in charge of the deceased person's care while they were in hospital if applicable , or with your GP.

The HTA leaflet Post-mortem examination: Your choices about organs and tissue PDF, 68kb gives further information about what happens before, during and after the examination. It regulates organisations that remove, store and use tissue for research, medical treatment, post-mortem examination, teaching and public display. For many people, understanding the reason for a loved one's death helps them come to terms with their loss.

You can also contact the national Cruse helpline on or at a local Cruse centre. Read more about coping with bereavement and coming to terms with the death of a loved one. Page last reviewed: 29 August Next review due: 29 August When post-mortems are carried out A post-mortem examination will be carried out if it's been requested by: a coroner — because the cause of death is unknown, or following a sudden, violent or unexpected death a hospital doctor — to find out more about an illness or the cause of death, or to further medical research and understanding There are 2 different types of post-mortem.

Coroner's post-mortem examination A coroner is a judicial officer responsible for investigating deaths in certain situations.