Huge increase in ‘mortuary errors’ makes grim reading

By the Editorial Team · Sunday, September 20, 2026

The Human Tissue Authority reported an 80% increase in serious errors involving mortuary and post-mortem services in England, with 182 significant incidents recorded last year, including wrong body releases, lost organs, and unauthorized access to mortuary areas. This rise, partly linked to stricter oversight and reporting, highlights ongoing concerns about the handling and respect of the deceased, prompting regulatory actions to improve standards nationwide.

An 80% rise in serious errors involving mortuary services and post-mortem procedures in England has been reported, according to data released by the Human Tissue Authority (HTA). Last year, 182 significant incidents were recorded, marking the highest number in five years and a sharp increase from 101 incidents reported in 2020-2021.

The reported mistakes ranged from releasing the wrong body to grieving families, showing relatives the incorrect deceased individual, accidental damage to bodies, and the loss or unauthorized retention or disposal of organs and tissues. These incidents have raised concerns about the handling of bodies and the overall standards within mortuary services.

Accidental damage to bodies, whether occurring in the mortuary or during post-mortem examinations, was the most common issue, with 61 incidents attributed primarily to human error. Equipment failures, contributing to the risk of body deterioration, were documented six times, including problems at Rotherham Hospital and Royal Devon and Cornwall Hospital in the final quarter of the year. Additionally, a shortage of freezer space at the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle contributed to the deterioration of bodies during the last quarter of 2025-26.

The HTA also highlighted 23 serious security breaches, including unauthorized individuals accessing mortuary areas at Royal Cornwall Hospital and Croydon University Hospital within the same period. Other incidents of note included procedural errors allowing body viewings without proper authorization—as reported at Nottingham’s Queen’s Medical Centre—and instances of inappropriate behavior by staff members, such as one case at Worcestershire Royal Hospital.

The authority recorded 21 cases involving lost organs, 15 cases of disposing or retaining organs or tissue despite explicit family objections, and 13 instances where organs or tissue were discovered after a post-mortem had been completed and the body released. Wrong body releases were noted in six cases, while five incidents involved families viewing the incorrect body. In five occasions, post-mortem examinations were conducted without appropriate consent or contrary to the given authorization.

There were no recorded incidents of post-mortems performed on the wrong body in the past year, though a small number occurred in previous years—one case in 2024-25 and three in 2023-24. Additionally, four cases involved the loss, disposal, or retention of a whole fetus or fetal tissue against family wishes.

The HTA attributed the increase in recorded incidents partly to enhanced oversight measures introduced in recent years. This includes a higher frequency of inspections, the implementation of routine unannounced visits, and strengthened requirements for reporting incidents and near misses.

“Every incident affecting the dignity of the deceased is unacceptable,” the authority stated. It emphasized that corrective action plans and formal directions are issued when failings are identified, and that it aims to collaborate with establishments to improve standards, update regulatory approaches, and uphold respect for the deceased.

This article was reported by synthesizing coverage from multiple independent news outlets to present a balanced, unbiased account. Read about our editorial standards. Spotted an error? Let us know.