NHS board apologises after ‘wrongful release’ of body discovered after cremation

NHS bosses have launched a full investigation and issued an apology after a body was wrongly released from a hospital mortuary to the undertakers – with the error only discovered after cremation had taken place.

As a result of the blunder, a service organised by one family to remember their loved one saw the wrong body cremated.

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde – Scotland’s largest health board –  accepted that “two families have been caused significant additional distress at an already very difficult time” as a result of the incident.

It is understood human error was to blame for the “wrongful release” of the body from the health board’s mortuary at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow.

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde confirmed a full investigation is now under way, with staff involved suspended while this takes place.

The families affected were informed of what had happened, with “full support” being offered to them after the incident, reported to have taken place last month.

Dr Scott Davidson, medical director at NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, said: “I would like to offer my sincere apologies to both families affected.

“We have very rigorous processes for the identification and labelling of bodies from arrival in our mortuaries until their release into the care of an undertaker.

“It is of deep regret that these processes have not been adhered to on this occasion, and that as a result two families have been caused significant additional distress at an already very difficult time.

“We launched an immediate investigation into this incident and will ensure that learning is applied.”

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “We wish to express our sincere condolences to the families involved with this terrible incident.

“We are deeply concerned by what has happened and have been clear with NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde that they must fully investigate the circumstances.”