Firstly, COPFS has seen a significant increase in the number of deaths reported, as illustrated below: Reporting Year Deaths Reported 2018-19 10,397 2019-20 10,896 2020-21 15,712 2021-22 15,313 2022-23 14,149 As a consequence, the number of post-mortem examinations requiring to be instructed by COPFS and conducted by pathologists has also risen, as follows: Post- Financial Year Mortems 2018-19 5,655 2019-20 5,645 2020-21 6,635 2021-22 7,092 2022-23 7,045 In addition, from early 2019, COPFS experienced delays in the provision of toxicology reports by Glasgow University (which at that time provided forensic toxicology services for most of Scotland).