Chamber and committees

There are currently no full-time forensic pathologists based in Aberdeen

The table below shows the number of part-time forensic pathologists based in Aberdeen in each of the last 10 years.

There were 576 Crown-instructed post mortem examinations performed at the Aberdeen City Mortuary in Aberdeen during 2023-24:

There are no forensic pathologists currently based in Aberdeen.

Two members of administration staff support the pathology service in Aberdeen.

COPFS recorded an increase of more than 40% in the number of deaths reported compared to pre-pandemic figures.

However, I am not aware of any significant impact on the availability or scheduling of post mortem examinations in Aberdeen.

There are currently no part-time forensic pathologists based in Aberdeen. There was one based in Aberdeen until 20 November 2024.

The numbers of full-time forensic pathologists based in Aberdeen in each of the last ten years are shown in the following table:

The average turnaround times for a non-suspicious post mortem to take place - measured from the later of the date of instruction from COPFS or the date the deceased is admitted to the designated mortuary to the date the post mortem takes place – is detailed in the following table:

Average Post Mortem turnaround time for non-suspicious deaths – April to October 2024

In Scotland, post mortem examinations instructed by the Crown are performed by Forensic Pathologists and NHS Consultant pathologists. Forensic pathologists perform a mixture of Forensic and non-Forensic examinations.

Aberdeen University provided a Forensic pathology service in Aberdeen in eight of the last ten years. Over those eight years, examinations were conducted by Forensic pathologists covering both Forensic and non-Forensic postmortems and it is not possible to separate the Forensic and non-Forensic pathology costs.

There has been no Forensic pathology service provider in Aberdeen in 2023-2024 and 2024-2025. COPFS-instructed non-forensic examinations in Aberdeen have been conducted by locum NHS consultant pathologists and Forensic services have been conducted by other Forensic service providers in Scotland. It is therefore possible to provide the costs of the Forensic pathology caseload in Aberdeen for 2023-2024 and 2024-2025 (forecasted figures from November 2024 to March 2025) and these are shown in the following table:

Early intervention and prevention are key priorities for the Scottish Government in taking forward our approaches to mental health and wellbeing, and HIV transmission elimination. We recognise that physical and mental health can be influenced by many factors, including home life, work, physical environment and housing, income, communities, relationships, difficult or traumatic life experiences and inequalities.

We are therefore working across government and with partners from a range of different sectors to better understand and address the social determinants of health. In relation to HIV, this specifically includes working with public sector and third sector partners to address barriers to prevention, testing and treatment and investing in interventions to ensure equitable access to high quality care that supports people to live well.