A dead body in an NHS hospital mortuary was visible from a public footpath after staff left a fire door ajar during a heatwave, inspectors discovered. The Human Tissue Authority (HTA) inspectors visited Worthing Hospital in West Sussex on July 7 and 8, finding that the fire exit door was "frequently opened" in hot weather, granting "unrestricted access" to the body store.
This unsecured access provided "a direct line of sight from a publicly accessible footpath" to the mortuary. During their visit, inspectors observed a body being prepared for release from the mortuary, visible from the footpath. Live CCTV footage of viewing tables at Worthing Hospital and the interior of body storage fridges at St Richard's Hospital were displayed on monitors in the security office. However, the camera monitoring the mortuary office fire exit door at Worthing Hospital was not operational, according to the report.
Beyond security concerns, the inspection also revealed that grieving families were at risk of being shown the wrong body due to staff not consistently following standard procedures. Inspectors found that three identifying factors were not routinely checked against details provided by families, posing "a risk of bereaved families viewing the wrong body." Additionally, records did not indicate whether staff conducting viewings had received appropriate training or assessment.
Other failures identified included seven bodies at Worthing and the Royal Sussex hospitals being held in refrigerated storage for over 30 days and showing signs of deterioration. Fridges and freezers at the Royal Sussex and Princess Royal hospitals lacked backup power supplies, leaving them vulnerable in the event of a power outage. Furthermore, tissue was stored with incomplete consent records, preventing the Trust from adequately verifying consent, as required by the Human Tissue Act.
During the inspection, which covered Worthing Hospital and satellite sites St Richard's and Royal Sussex County Hospital, HTA officials identified 10 major and six minor shortfalls in HTA standards.
University Hospitals Sussex provided a statement acknowledging the HTA's findings and stated that the vast majority of identified issues have already been addressed. This includes all procedural aspects that posed a potential risk of error. The Trust also reported immediate improvements to security and privacy, along with enhancements to the physical environment. A broader program to improve mortuary facilities across all hospital sites is underway. The HTA has not suspended or revoked the Trust's license, and it continues to collaborate with the regulator to uphold high standards of care and respect for deceased patients and their families.
These findings follow the David Fuller scandal, in which numerous dead women and girls were abused in hospital mortuaries in southeast England. In response to that case, NHS Trusts were instructed to implement controlled access to mortuaries and body stores using swipe card systems and ensure effective CCTV monitoring of these areas.