Brent: Plans to expand mortuary to meet need for storage

A north London hospital could have its mortuary expanded to tackle a growing need for storage.

Brent Mortuary, at Northwick Park Hospital, is running out of space due to more deaths being investigated and increases in the length of stay for the deceased.

To resolve the issue, Brent Council is seeking to increase its capacity.

Krupa Sheth, from the council, said the £2.63m expansion would ensure the mortuary meets its legal requirements.

The mortuary covers Brent, Harrow and Barnet - three of the five boroughs within the HM Coroner of North London's jurisdiction.

In 2021, a Human Tissue Authority (HTA) audit found the site no longer met its requirement for "sufficient storage".

It must have adequate refrigerated and frozen storage for the deceased and enough space to allow for peak periods during yearly seasonal pressures.

The issue was put down to annual increases in the number of deaths being investigated by the coroner and the rise in average length of stay for each deceased, as well as the area's steadily growing population size and age.

It is also expected that the cost-of-living crisis will make the situation worse, as families struggle to find enough money for funeral costs, increasing the length of time the deceased may need to stay in the mortuary.

The service is also seeing a steady increase in the number of obesity-related deaths, which the council said "can often require additional storage space".

If nothing was done, Brent, Harrow and Barnet Councils could be fined for not meeting HTA requirements.

The council said it planned to expand the capacity by 80 places using an unused cellar room next to the existing mortuary.

The three councils would be responsible for their own financial contributions, based on their population sizes.

Barnet would pay more than £1m, Harrow would pay almost £700,000 and Brent would pay about £900,000.

Labour councillor Ms Sheth, Brent Council's member for infrastructure, said the council was committed "to ensuring the continued security and dignity in the ongoing care of the deceased".

Plans will be presented to the cabinet on Monday.

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