Wrong body cremated after mix-up

Mortuary staff gave undertakers the wrong body for cremation after a blunder at a London hospital.

The bodies of two elderly women were mixed up after an employee failed to check their identity tags properly.

It resulted in the first patient's body being handed over to the family of the second patient for cremation.

By the time the error was realised at Barnet Hospital, the family had gone ahead with the funeral service, leaving the relatives of the first patient with no body to cremate.

They decided to go ahead with the cremation despite not having a body. Many of the mourners were unaware of the problem. The family of the second patient then held another cremation with the correct body.

The mistake led to a full-scale inquiry at Chase Farm and Barnet Hospital Trust and a mortuary worker has since been sacked for gross misconduct.

Paul O'Connor, the chief executive of the trust, today apologised to the two families, admitting that the mix-up happened because proper procedures were not followed. He said: "An incident took place whereby the wrong body of a patient was allowed to be removed by undertakers. We immediately informed the coroner and visited the two families.

"Although we could not undo this error, we have done everything possible to support the families at a difficult and distressing time.

"This was an isolated incident. The proper procedures were not followed for the identificationof patients being removed from the mortuary by undertakers."

It is thought an employee at Barnet handed over the first body without checking the tags on the wrist and ankle against a central register. Staff did not realise the mix-up until a second undertaker arrived two days later to find the body he was due to collect had gone.

The blunder is not the first at the mortuary. Last year Mary Lo was trapped inside its chapel of rest with her dead father for half an hour after being locked in by an employee.

Miss Lo today described the latest error as "disgusting", adding: "I understand exactly how the families feel. When they feel strong enough, I think they should take it further.

"Obviously the management in the hospital hasn't improved. Why employ people who are careless? It's ridiculous."