Wrong body is cremated after morgue mix-up: Family face ordeal of second funeral after mourning over stranger’s ashes
- •Blunder occurred due to deceased having similar names at the mortuary
- •A member of mortuary staff has since been suspended over the error
- •Undertakers Moisters Funeral Directors initially tried to deny the mix-up
A report by the Daily Mail has revealed that a family unwittingly mourned the death of a stranger after the wrong body was released for cremation by an NHS hospital, it emerged last night.
Health bosses launched an urgent inquiry after the extraordinary mortuary mix-up but by then it was too late.
It is understood the body was cremated with the wrong relatives gathered at the crematorium, which means they will now have to go through the heartache of another funeral service, while another family will never be able to say a proper goodbye to their loved one.
The blunder is thought to have occurred because there were two deceased with similar names at the mortuary in Southport Hospital, Merseyside.
Yesterday the hospital confirmed a member of mortuary staff had been suspended over the error.
It said staff had offered an ‘unreserved apology’ to the distraught relatives of both families – those who attended the funeral of the wrong deceased and another family whose loved one was cremated without their knowledge. And it insisted staff had been ‘transparent’ throughout and immediately informed both sets of relatives once the mistake was noticed.
The blunder is thought to have occurred because there were two deceased with similar names at the mortuary in Southport Hospital, Merseyside.
Yesterday the hospital confirmed a member of mortuary staff had been suspended over the error.
It said staff had offered an ‘unreserved apology’ to the distraught relatives of both families – those who attended the funeral of the wrong deceased and another family whose loved one was cremated without their knowledge. And it insisted staff had been ‘transparent’ throughout and immediately informed both sets of relatives once the mistake was noticed.
However, the undertakers – Moisters Funeral Directors – initially tried to deny the mix-up when approached by the Daily Mail.
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