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The current cost of an NHS locum pathologist conducting a post mortem examination in Aberdeen is £600 per examination.

In relation to other incurred costs – which include histopathology, toxicology, administrative costs and mortuary costs - in the year 2023-24 the average cost per examination was £2,568.

Three forensic pathologists have left positions in Aberdeen in the last five years. One pathologist took up a post with the Home Office in England. Two pathologists transferred to other positions in Scotland where they continue to conduct Crown-instructed examinations.

The Family Liaison Charter sets out the Crown’s obligations in relation to liaising with and providing information to bereaved relatives.

COPFS has established a Death Investigation Improvement Board with a number of workstreams, one of which is focussed on further expanding and improving the level of information provided to bereaved relatives in the early stages of investigations.

The certification of a person’s death is a matter that falls solely within the clinical responsibility of medical practitioners, who require to be satisfied to the best of their knowledge and belief as to the cause of death.

Following a post mortem examination, the pathologist will ordinarily certify the cause of death. In some cases, an ‘interim’ death certificate is issued by the pathologist indicating that the cause of death is unascertained until the results of further analysis - including but not limited to histopathology, toxicology and neuropathology - are obtained. This certificate allows the death to be registered and the body to be released to the family to allow funeral arrangements to be made. Once all analysis has concluded and the final cause of death is confirmed, the interim death certificate is then amended. However, in a small percentage of cases the pathologist is unable to determine a cause of death even after all such analysis is done.

We have identified 12 cases in 2023-24 where, following post mortem examination, the pathologist was unable to determine a cause of death and the cause was certified as ‘Unascertained’.

Where a pathologist is unable to determine a cause of death, they will include in their report as much information as possible about their findings to assist nearest relatives with possible explanations for the death having occurred. COPFS will provide that information to relatives when advising them of the final cause of death.

There is no backlog of post mortem examinations in Aberdeen and the majority of routine examinations are completed within agreed targets.

COPFS works closely with the Aberdeen mortuary team and locum pathologists to ensure that any issues with service delivery are highlighted and resolved as quickly as possible with the minimum of impact to bereaved families.

The following table shows the numbers of forensic post mortems conducted by two doctors that would normally have been performed in Aberdeen and that were transferred to Edinburgh. Some post mortems were also transferred to Dundee and Glasgow.

Only suspicious forensic post mortem examinations are being transferred from Aberdeen. Prior to October 2022, these were performed by forensic pathologists based in Aberdeen.

There are currently no forensic pathologists based in Aberdeen.

There are currently no part-time forensic pathologists based in Aberdeen. There was one based in Aberdeen until 20 November 2024.

The numbers of full-time forensic pathologists based in Aberdeen in each of the last ten years are shown in the following table:

In my capacity as Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy, I can confirm that I have not met Scotland Against Spin.