BMJ  2003;327:804-806 (4 October), doi:10.1136/bmj.327.7418.804

Education and debate

Obtaining consent for autopsy

¹ Our Lady's Hospital for Sick Children, Crumlin, Dublin 12, Ireland michael.mcdermott@olhsc.ie

Consent for autopsy is usually obtained by the consultant in charge of the case. Given the detailed information now required, should pathologists take on this role?

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

The recent controversy about organ retention has led to big changes in the information given to bereaved families. Professional bodies continue to advocate that the clinical consultant in charge of the case has the primary role in the hospital's interaction with relatives at this time.¹ However, their unfamiliarity with autopsy procedures could lead to discrepancies between what is discussed and what the pathologist actually does. As the only pathologist at my hospital, I have taken on responsibility for giving information to relatives and completing autopsy documentation. Although not without its difficulties, this meeting leads to a transparency beneficial to both parents and the pathologist.

The Bristol Royal Infirmary inquiry into deaths of babies having heart surgery caused widespread public concern about the quality of information delivered to families about postmortem examinations.² There was particular disquiet that parents had not been specifically informed that this procedure would entail the retention of . . . [Full text of this article]

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