A new report reveals there are no PPP consultants working in Northern Ireland and in the South West and Midlands areas of England with one in five families waiting six months or more for a post mortem report and some longer than 12 months.

Dr Clair Evans, chair, RCPath Specialty Advisory Committee for Pre/Perinatal/Paediatric Pathology, said: ‘There are simply not enough consultants to undertake this work and families are suffering. Due to the severe resource issues, paediatric and perinatal pathologists tell us their inability to provide high quality care to their patients is leaving them feeling stretched, stressed and burnt out.'

Northern Ireland has not had a paediatric and perinatal consultant in post since 2019 meaning people having to cope with the stress of the bodies of their family members being transported to Liverpool for examination.

The report's key findings include: 37% of posts currently vacant; recruitment is almost impossible due to a national shortage of qualified candidates with 83% reporting issues; only 3% of believe current staffing levels are adequate; 25% are expected to retire within the next five years; and only 13 resident doctors in PPP specialist training posts.

Recommendations include: a phased expansion of PPP training posts; increased workforce support; funding and resources to continue the development of 10 fellowships; committing resources to workforce planning; and prioritisation and outsourcing as effective ways of managing excess workload.

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: ‘Bereaved parents have experienced the unthinkable and any avoidable distress to families in this heartbreaking position is unacceptable.

‘There are a record number of doctors across almost every speciality in the NHS, including pathology, and our 10-Year Health Plan commits to the creation of 1,000 new specialty training posts with a focus on specialties where there is greatest need.'

The Government said it was committed to publishing a 10-Year Workforce Plan to set out action to create a workforce ready to deliver the transformed service set out in the 10-Year Health Plan.  

A spokesperson for the Northern Ireland Department of Health (DoH) said: ‘The minister is committed to finding a better resolution to the issue of local access for local perinatal and paediatric pathology. He believes the grief and trauma experienced by families locally is being exacerbated by the requirement for them to travel to England for post-mortems, often leaving behind critical support networks at an extremely difficult time.

‘Whilst the minister's first preference would be the restoration of a dedicated paediatric pathology service for Northern Ireland, this report from the Royal College of Pathologists confirms that such an outcome continues to remain incredibly challenging as these services are under considerable pressure globally due to a shortage of paediatric pathologists. The Department therefore welcomes the recommendation by the College to train and retain more paediatric and perinatal pathologists across the UK over the next 10 years to support succession planning and ensure the long term sustainability of these vital services nationally.'

One of the options being considered by the DoH is an ‘all-island solution' with the Republic of Ireland.