A significant number of families who have experienced the heartbreaking loss of a child are facing extended delays of six months or more to determine the cause of death. This delay is a result of a shortage of qualified pathologists trained to conduct postmortem examinations on children.
Dr. Marta Cohen, a Paediatric pathologist, has been compelled to return from retirement to alleviate the prolonged waiting periods that grieving parents are enduring. She expressed concern, stating, “We are currently facing the most severe situation in the past two decades.”
One such family deeply affected by this issue is Nathan and Fiona Robinson from Doncaster, who had to endure a seven-month wait for a postmortem examination after the sudden loss of their two-year-old son, Alfie.
In an unfortunate incident in May 2022, Fiona discovered her son had passed away in his bed when she tried to wake him and his older sister. Recalling the moment, she emotionally shared, “As soon as I turned him over, I knew he was no longer with us.”
Following Alfie’s unexpected death with no prior warning signs, Fiona and Nathan found themselves in a state of uncertainty until the pathology team at Sheffield Children’s Hospital could provide them with answers regarding his passing, which she described as one of the most distressing moments of her life. Nathan highlighted how their lives as parents have been forever altered since the tragic event.
The lack of closure regarding Alfie’s death added to the family’s anguish as an inquest two years later still could not determine the cause of death despite extensive examinations and reviews.
Approximately 40 children and young individuals under 18 years old die unexpectedly in the UK each year from unknown causes, resulting in unresolved investigations due to a national shortage of pathologists. The Royal College of Pathologists revealed that over a third of pathologist positions remain vacant, primarily due to recruitment barriers such as qualified staff shortages, financial constraints, and bureaucratic delays.
Dr. Marta Cohen, now handling a significant portion of sudden death cases after returning to work, emphasized the continuous decline in the number of pathologists over the past two decades, indicating the challenges faced by the profession.
With only 53 consultant pathologists in the entire UK, some regions such as the Midlands and South West lack child pathologists, putting immense pressure on the existing consultants. Dr. Cohen’s practice in Sheffield includes children from various regions, with some bodies reaching her a month postmortem due to challenges in finding available pathologists.
She stressed the necessity for government investment in training to address these delays, emphasizing the importance of having enough consultants to train future pathologists.
A spokesperson from the Department of Health and Social Care acknowledged the distress caused to families by these delays, stating that any avoidable suffering in such situations is unacceptable. The department pledged to create more training opportunities within the NHS, focusing on specialties where the need is most urgent.
