§ Mr. BradyTo ask the Secretary of State for Health which organisation is responsible for setting the necessary minimum standard for hospital mortuaries. [137232]
§ Mr. Denham[holding answer 7 November 2000]: Clinical Pathology Accreditation (UK) Ltd. (CPA) oversees accreditation of National Health Service pathology laboratories which include standards for mortuary and post mortem facilities. In addition, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) carries responsibility for mortuaries in the same capacity as for any other hospital facility. The HSE's Health Services Advisory Committee is currently revising its publication "Safe working and the prevention of infection in the mortuary and post-mortem room".
§ Mr. BradyTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the NHS hospital mortuaries which fail to meet necessary minimum standards. [137236]
§ Mr. Denham[holding answer 7 November 2000]: Hospital mortuaries are accredited as part of the National Health Service pathology services and are not separately identified.
§ Mr. BradyTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to establish that NHS hospital mortuaries meet the necessary minimum standard. [137233]
§ Mr. Denham[holding answer 7 November 2000]: National Health Service pathology laboratory services have responsibility for the standard of hospital mortuaries, as part of accreditation. The Department supported the development of Clinical Pathology Accreditation (CPA) Ltd., the main accreditation body in the United Kingdom. 380W CPA sets standards for laboratory services, inspects laboratories, including mortuaries, against the standards and reports to hospital chief executives.
§ Mr. BradyTo ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer of 2 November 2000,Official Report, column 603W, (1) when he expects remedial action to be taken to bring the mortuary at Trafford General Hospital to the necessary minimum standard; [137237]
(2) what funding will be provided to achieve the necessary minimum standards at the mortuary of Trafford General Hospital. [137238]
§ Mr. Denham[holding answer 7 November 2000]: £8,550 was made available in 1998 to ensure that the mortuary at Trafford General Hospital met the minimum standards. As part of this process, work carried out included:
- internal and external decoration;
- work on the body stores (including replacement panels and thermometers);
- a full steam clean;
- a repair to the roof; as well as
- a revamp of the relatives' viewing area.
Trafford Healthcare National Health Service Trust is now in the process of developing a business case for a new mortuary and has the support of the North West Regional Office of the NHS Executive, in doing so.
§ Mr. BradyTo ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer of 2 November 2000,Official Report, column 603W, what inquiries he has made into the reasons why expenditure on the mortuary at Trafford General Hospital in 1998 failed to bring the facility to the necessary minimum standard. [137239]
§ Mr. Denham[holding answer 7 November 2000]: As a result of the funding made available in 1998, the current mortuary facilities at Trafford General Hospital do meet the minimum standards.
Salford and Trafford Health Authority is satisfied that the facilities at Trafford General Hospital do not pose a risk to patients and staff alike. As in the rest of the hospital, infection control procedures are in place and are monitored regularly.
§ Mr. BradyTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the NHS hospital mortuaries which have been visited by Ministers in his Department since May 1997. [137240]
§ Mr. Denham[holding answer 7 November 2000]: None of the current Ministers at the Department have so far been able to visit an NHS mortuary as part of their visits to the service. We will though keep this possibility in mind for future visit programmes.