If you are a bereaved parent or family member or friend seeking information about post-mortem examination, please go to this page.
If you are a healthcare professional looking for the Sands post-mortem consent package, please click here.
If you are a health care professional looking for post-mortem consent training, you can access the Perinatal Post-mortem Consent Programme eLearning created by Dr Asha Shenvi, Consultant Neonatologist, University Hospital of North Midlands and Jo Cookson, Neonatal / Midwifery Lecturer, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Keele University.
Updated guidelines for fetal autopsy
The Royal College of Pathology (RCPath) updated their guidelines for perinatal post-mortems in June 2024. The new guidelines include a change to how decisions are made about the level of post-mortem that will be carried out. Parental consent will determine the maximum level of post-mortem investigation. The pathologist will use their expert judgement to decide the level of post-mortem that will be carried out within those limits.
NHS interim policy for commissioning perinatal post-mortem services
In October 2022, the NHS introduced an interim policy for commissioning perinatal post-mortem examinations. The interim policy now applies across England, Scotland and Wales. The policy aligns with the new RCPath guidelines, in particular for the triage of perinatal post-mortems.
You can find the interim policy here. NHS England will replace this with a permanent policy statement shortly.
New Sands Template Perinatal Post-Mortem Consent Form
It is vital that bereaved parents are fully informed about current practice when making their decision about consenting to a post-mortem on their baby, and Sands’ Template Perinatal Post-Mortem Consent Form has now been updated to align with the new Royal College of Pathology perinatal post-mortem guidelines.
In creating the new template form, we have worked with NHS England and the Human Tissue Authority (HTA), as well as consulting with all stakeholders. The new form works alongside the RCPath guidelines, NHS England’s new perinatal pathology commissioning policy (to be published in early December) and has been redesigned to record parents’ specific wishes about their baby.
Sands will be updating our parent information about consenting to a post-mortem early next year, and revising the Post-Mortem Consent Package for healthcare professionals during 2025.