FUNERAL DIRECTORS, MORTUARIES AND NECROPSIES - IMPLICATIONS FOR NECROPSY CONSENT RATES AND THE PREVENTION OF INFECTION

Aim-To evaluate the attitudes and experiences of funeral directors in relation to necropsies. Methods-Ah 1631 members of the National Associ ation of Funeral Directors were surveyed by postal questionnaire about the purposes of necropsies, the technical and administrative problems associated with necropsied cases and their relations with relatives, mortuaries and pathology departments. Results-In total, 123 funeral di rectors completed the questionnaire (8% response rate). Workload, prop ortion. of cases necropsied and type of mortuary did not influence ans wers. Necropsies were considered important for the assessment of treat ment outcome, identification of inherited disease and junior pathologi st training, but not for medical audit, There was strong support for m ore education about necropsies. The areas of necropsy practice most fr equently discussed with relatives related to concerns about funeral de lay and the involvement of the coroner or equivalent authority. Funera l directors occasionally counselled relatives for or against giving ne cropsy consent. The commonest technical problems associated with necro psies were difficulties in embalming, leakage of body fluids and scalp el penetration in visible areas. Few administrative problems were repo rted; the commonest was inflexibility in body collection times. There was strong support for a national code of practice to cover relations between funeral directors and mortuaries despite general satisfaction with relations with local pathology departments. Conclusions-Although the relation among the funeral profession, mortuaries and pathology de partments is largely satisfactory, a national code of practice for fun eral directors and mortuaries is desirable.