BRADFORD Council has revealed it will be bringing the district’s digital autopsy facility “in house” after ending its contract with an outside company.
The facility allows families to opt for “non-invasive” autopsies for their deceased loved ones – with computer technology used to scan the body. It removes the need for the body to be cut open.
A company called iGene installed a body scanner at Bradford Council’s Public Mortuary and Forensic Science Centre, on Burnham Avenue, Bierley, in 2014. Since then, Bradford families have been able to ask the coroner for scans, rather than traditional autopsies.
The Council had been funding the scans for local residents, but iGene this week announced that Council funding will end that funding at the end of the month.
The Council said it would instead be creating a similar “in house” service, run by the Coroner.
A spokesman for iGene said: iGene London Limited are extremely disappointed to announce that with effect from 31st January 2019, Bradford Metropolitan District Council have withdrawn from their agreement with iGene to fund Digital Autopsies for Bradford residents.
“Bradford Metropolitan Borough Council have been contracted with iGene to fund Digital Autopsies for their residents since February 2017. During this time the availability of Digital Autopsy has helped hundreds of families avoid the added distress of an invasive post-mortem with success rates of up to 80 per cent.
“iGene remain committed to delivering this vital service to communities across West Yorkshire. Therefore, in spite of the actions of Bradford Council, families will still be able to request a Digital Autopsy via the Coroner but will need to pay privately to access the service.
“Elsewhere in the UK local authorities continue to fund their residents receiving a Digital Autopsy and Coroners support using iGene technology to avoid invasive post-mortems. iGene operate centres in Sheffield, Sandwell, and Preston with future facilities planned.”
A Council spokesman said: “A decision has been taken that the temporary contract that existed with this company will not be extended beyond its end date of the January 31.
“Since 2014, a private company has operated a digital body scanner at the Council’s Public Mortuary and Forensic Science Centre. This was one of the first in the UK.
“On behalf of HM Coroner, the Council has worked with the company to enable Bradford residents, of all faiths and no faith alike, to opt for a digital scan, rather than an invasive post-mortem.
This arrangement will come to an end on January 31.
“Through using this service it has become clear that digital scans are essential for grieving families, offering them comfort and dignity. The result is that the Council has now decided to seek to replicate this service on an in-house basis.
“Analysis shows that this potentially offers a more long-term, sustainable solution, while giving control on behalf of the Coroner over the use of the service.
“Our aim is to continue to offer an alternative to unnecessary invasive autopsies to families during a potentially traumatic time in their lives. We are working hard to ensure that this facility will be up and running and available for residents as soon as possible.”
The Council said the plans for the in house coroner facility were still in the early stages.
Last year the Telegraph & Argus submitted a Freedom of Information request asking how much the Council had spent funding the iGene service. The Council responded by saying it was a Coroner run service, and so was exempt from Freedom of Information rules.
