Health chiefs have issued a profound apology and launched a full investigation after a body was incorrectly released from a major hospital mortuary, resulting in the wrong person being cremated.
What Happened at the Glasgow Hospital?
The serious incident occurred last month at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow, which is managed by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde. Due to an error, the wrong body was released from the hospital's mortuary to undertakers.
The mistake was only discovered after the cremation had already taken place. This meant a memorial service organised by one grieving family was held for the wrong person.
NHS Apology and Immediate Action
Dr Scott Davidson, the medical director for NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, offered his sincere apologies to both families caught up in the distressing situation. The health board acknowledged the incident had caused "significant additional distress at an already very difficult time."
The board confirmed that a full investigation is now underway and that staff involved have been suspended while the probe takes place. The affected families have been informed and are being offered full support.
Failure of 'Rigorous Processes'
In a statement, Dr Davidson explained that the health board has strict protocols for identifying and labelling bodies from the moment they arrive in the mortuary until their release to a funeral director.
"It is of deep regret that these processes have not been adhered to on this occasion," he stated. Initial understanding points to human error being the cause of the wrongful release.
The health board, which is Scotland's largest, has pledged to apply any lessons learned from the investigation to prevent a similar tragedy from happening again.
