RETAINED ORGANS AUDIT:THE RETAINED Organs Audit has called for the immediate ending of the incineration of organs in a number of hospitals and says it is "wholly unacceptable by today's standards".
The report says that many of the practices surrounding the retention and disposal of organs at Beaumont hospital in Dublin are excellent but it called for the “production of CJD policies and standard operating procedures” and for “a review of storage arrangements for organs there.”
It commends its dealings with bereaved relatives but said it was also apparent that “the neuro-pathologists are stretched with their own workload and carrying out visits to other hospitals as well as having organs referred to them.”
At Tallaght hospital it suggested the production of a bereavement pack and noted that there was no review and/or audit process in place there, which would enhance the service. It felt the incineration of organs at Cavan hospital was “not acceptable practice and should cease with immediate effect”.
It found that at Temple Street Children’s Hospital in Dublin there were “no staff specifically trained or any particular process in place for providing information in relation to the retention of organs at postmortem examination for an unexpected death where a postmortem is ordered by a coroner.”
It added that “this should be picked up as it is a national problem.”
It called for a review of bereavement services and training with regard to seeking consent to postmortem examination for doctors at the Connolly hospital in Blanchardstown, as well as improved recording and tracking of organs.
It said that at the Coombe hospital in Dublin, “a decision must be taken with regard to museum specimens, especially the unidentifiable fetuses, with regard to their continued preservation for sensitive burial, as it is likely there was no consent for such retention”.
The recording of the disposal of organs at Cork University Hospital “should be reviewed”, it said, and noted that “anatomical pathology technicians are employed by the hospital but also have responsibilities to the State Pathologist.”
It called for a review of bereavement service provision at Galway University Hospital and of the management of organs referred there. It also makes reference to the limited availability of the bereavement liaison officer there, from Monday to Friday with no locum to cover annual leave.
In extensive suggestions for improvement at Kerry General Hospital it said that “there is no specific training for staff to enable information relating to retention of organs to be given to bereaved people following an unexpected death or in circumstances where a post-mortem examination is to be conducted under the jurisdiction of the coroner.”
It also spoke of “the urgent need to update the mortuary/ postmortem facilities” there where “security is poor and there are no access controls systems”.
At Letterkenny General Hospital in Co Donegal, there was “an urgent need . . . to review and implement policies and standard operating procedures”, while at Our Lady of Lourdes in Drogheda there was “a general need to review and revise documentation and a need for training and implementation of standards”.
The report found that in Sligo General Hospital 25 organs were retained from 24 cases.
In four cases organs were retained and all others were disposed of through incineration, which it described as “wholly inappropriate by today’s standards”, although the practice ceased in 2003.
This unacceptable incineration practice was still conducted at the Mid-Western Regional Hospital in Limerick and “should cease with immediate effect”.
Bereavement support was also found to be inadequate in the Limerick hospital.