Chamber and committees

COPFS work closely with the mortuary team and locum pathologists to ensure that post mortem examinations taking place in Aberdeen are completed within the target turnaround time in the majority of cases. Regular performance updates are provided to COPFS and stakeholders work collaboratively to address any performance issues.

All post mortems are completed by experienced NHS consultant pathologists following the Royal College of Pathologist guidance and standards.

COPFS has spent the following on locum forensic pathologists in Aberdeen in each of the last ten years:

In 2024, based on data from the June Agricultural Census, there were 9,309 agricultural holdings in Scotland with a total land area more than or equal to 81 hectares (approximately 200 acres).

COPFS’ case management database does not recognise the category of death of ‘medical mishap’. However, in the majority of medical deaths where there are concerns about the circumstances there would be no requirement for the post mortem examination to involve forensic pathologists.

COPFS is not responsible for training or recruiting Crown-instructed pathologists.

However, there are currently four forensic pathologist training posts in Scotland and three of those are filled – one in Glasgow and two in Edinburgh. There is currently no capacity elsewhere in Scotland to fill the fourth training post.

Forensic Pathologists are not automatically deployed at the conclusion of their training. There must be a post available with a service provider and Forensic Pathologists need to apply through normal recruitment processes.

NHS Lothian provide pathology services for the East of Scotland. There are six full-time forensic pathologists performing both forensic and routine postmortems in Edinburgh.

In 2023-2024, NHS Lothian began providing support for the Aberdeen, Grampian and Highlands and Islands on-call and suspicious deaths due to the lack of forensic pathologists in Aberdeen to conduct double doctor forensic postmortems there.

Notwithstanding this additional workload, the numbers of examinations carried out by NHS Lothian are within the agreed maximum annual volume of post mortems and the agreed safe working level for a full-time pathologist in Scotland.

COPFS is grateful to NHS Lothian for their continued support and for ensuring continuity of these essential services whilst NHS Grampian develops a new local service in Aberdeen.

NHS Grampian has provided COPFS with a commitment to implement a forensic pathology service in Aberdeen, including the recruitment of full-time forensic pathologists, and COPFS is supporting that process.

It is however a matter for NHS Grampian to recruit forensic pathologists to provide the services.

The reimplementation of a forensic pathology service in Aberdeen may allow one of the forensic pathologist training posts to be filled there, improving the potential for sustainable forensic services in Aberdeen and Scotland.

There are no issues with unascertained causes of deaths on death certificates in Aberdeen.

The certification of a person’s death is a matter that falls solely within the clinical responsibility of medical practitioners, who require to be satisfied to the best of their knowledge and belief as to the cause of death.

Following a post mortem examination, the pathologist will ordinarily certify the cause of death. In some cases, an ‘interim’ death certificate is issued by the pathologist indicating that the cause of death is unascertained until the results of further analysis - including but not limited to histopathology, toxicology and neuropathology - are obtained. This certificate allows the death to be registered and the body to be released to the family to allow funeral arrangements to be made. Once all analysis has concluded and the final cause of death is confirmed, the interim death certificate is then amended. However, in a small percentage of cases the pathologist is unable to determine a cause of death even after all such analysis is done.

There are a number of reasons why the pathologist may be unable to determine a cause of death, such as a significant delay between the date of death and the body being found.

Where a pathologist is unable to determine a cause of death, they will include in their report as much information as possible about their findings to assist nearest relatives with possible explanations for the death having occurred. COPFS will provide that information to relatives when advising them of the final cause of death.

Three forensic pathologists have left positions in Aberdeen in the last five years. One pathologist took up a post with the Home Office in England. Two pathologists transferred to other positions in Scotland where they continue to conduct Crown-instructed examinations.

All locum pathologists used to cover non-suspicious Crown-instructed post mortems in Aberdeen are NHS consultants with significant experience of conducting examinations. Prior to being instructed by the Crown, each locum pathologist is interviewed by COPFS officials and an experienced Forensic Pathologist to confirm that they have the appropriate skills and experience to take on the role.

There are no identified quality issues with the post mortem examinations being carried out by locum pathologists in Aberdeen.