A major NHS hospital has released the wrong deceased person six times in a series of mortuary blunders. One grieving family unknowingly cremated a stranger, while the error left another family without their loved one’s remains. The remaining five incidents were discovered before funerals took place. NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde said mortuaries operate very rigorous identification and labeling systems, but these safeguards were not followed in the incidents. It remains unclear what specific identification procedures were repeatedly ignored in the mortuary, and how many families have been directly affected by these six incidents has not been disclosed.
A grieving granddaughter was left traumatized after her grandmother’s body was handed to the wrong funeral director. The remains had to be retrieved after being mistakenly released to a company the family had not appointed. This additional family trauma compounds the distress caused by the mortuary errors.
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde has apologized for the string of failures. Dr Scott Davidson, medical director of NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, expressed deep regret that families have suffered additional distress and that safeguards were not adhered to. An internal investigation remains ongoing into the cremation mix-up, while Scotland’s Inspector of Burial, Cremation and Funeral Directors is also examining the case. The timeline for the internal investigation and the Inspector's probe has not been specified.
Scottish Conservative MSP Dr Sandesh Gulhane branded the incidents unforgivable and called for a police investigation. Labour’s health spokeswoman Jackie Baillie warned the errors would alarm bereaved families across Scotland. What corrective measures have been implemented to prevent future blunders is unknown.
A family member described the situation as like a horror film. Five formal complaints have been lodged with NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde since the hospital opened in 2015. It is not known how many staff members have been suspended or faced disciplinary action. The hospital has acknowledged the failures but has not detailed any personnel consequences.