What happens after a post-mortem

Afterapost-mortem, the pathologist writes a report of the findings.

If the post-mortem was requested by the coroner,the coroner or coroner's officer willlet you know the cause of death determined by the pathologist.

If you want a full copy of the pathologist's report, you can request this fromthe coroner's office, but there may be a fee. In some cases, the report may be sent to a hospital doctor or GP so they can discuss it with you.

If the post-mortem was requested by a hospital doctor, you'll have to request the resultsfrom the hospital where the post-mortem took place. You may be charged a small fee for this.

You can arrange to discuss theresults with the doctor in charge of the deceased person's care while they were in hospital (if applicable), or with your GP.

The HTA has produced a leaflet providing further information about what happens before, during and after the examination Post-mortem examination: Your choices about organs and tissue (PDF, 68kb) .

Content supplied by the NHS Website

Medically Reviewed by a doctor on 21 Dec 2018