mortuary

“It’s important to reach out to families and get a reference sample, to exclude the possibility that their relative might be in a mortuary,” says Mr Holliday.

“We talk and walk them through the process. The key thing is, if you provide blood, you may actually find that your relative is on a rack in a mortuary. Wouldn’t you rather find that out?”

Harassment and threats come from patients, their friends and families too, she says, describing how members of the public attacked her team while they were handling bodies in the mortuary last year.

Mrs Cope referenced the hospital recently partially losing its mortuary accreditation, after assessors raised concerns about security following two mix-ups of bodies given to bereaved families.

"It's not just an issue solely related to the mortuary," she said.