Clause 15
Coroners and Justice Bill
4:00 pm
Brian Iddon (Bolton South East, Labour)
The hon. Gentleman is correct—that is the main reason why the procedure has been developed in the Manchester West jurisdiction.
The average cost of an MRI post-mortem is £885 and 50 to 60 are carried out each year. They are usually carried out overnight, when the MRI scanners are not required to scan living people, for obvious reasons. Costs are usually met by the family, but the Jewish Burial Board in Greater Manchester meets the cost of a scan for its members.
Consultant radiologists play an important role in determining whether an MRI post-mortem will reveal the cause of death, which is the reason for amendment 188. Radiologists feel strongly about their inclusion in the Bill.
Of the 50 to 60 examinations carried out in this way, perhaps one will have to be referred to a pathologist in the end because the MRI post-mortem did not reveal the actual cause of death. That is explained to the families who choose to undertake the procedure.
One advantage of an MRI post-mortem over a pathological examination is that the results can be kept on a disc for future examination, if necessary. Also, it is usually quicker than a pathological examination, especially when histology samples must be sent away for analysis, which can take several days or sometimes even weeks.
The Manchester West coroners’ jurisdiction provides a full out-of-hours service for the issue of documentation for the release of deceased persons for burial, cremation or even removal from the UK, which is common in Muslim communities. In Manchester West, not only Her Majesty’s coroner but the administrative assistant who issues such documents is available out of hours.
I am pleased that the Bill’s explanatory notes refer to such post-mortems, on page 26. The procedure is at least now recognised by this Government. The power to request a post-mortem examination by MRI scan is underpinned by clause 16, which we shall consider in a moment. The clause gives the coroner the power to move a body between jurisdictions.
Obviously, an MRI scanner might not be available in the coroner’s own jurisdiction. Non-invasive MRI post-mortems are not yet available for children in Greater Manchester, as no participating paediatric radiologist is available. In such cases, it would be necessary to move the body from Greater Manchester to Sheffield, where the nearest consultant paediatric radiologist is located. Here in the south, Great Ormond Street children’s hospital also has a specialist radiologist.
To summarise, radiologists feel strongly that MRI post-mortems are a developing technique that will spread rapidly across Britain, particularly in the communities that I have mentioned, and that will involve a considerable number of our citizens. They feel that now is the appropriate time, as an opportunity such as the Bill comes only rarely, to put radiologists on the face of legislation. That is the substance of amendment 188.
Amendment 189 is consequential. It defines a post-mortem as either invasive or non-invasive. Again, the coroners to whom I have spoken, such as Jennifer Leeming in the Manchester West jurisdiction, and radiologists feel that there should be a definition in the clause along the lines of my amendment.
Clause 23 relates to providing accommodation overnight and at weekends. I remind right hon. and hon. Members that coroners, by the nature of their employment, must make themselves available 24/7, so that is not a problem. Jennifer Leeming, in my jurisdiction, is always available if needed. Furthermore, administrative assistants are provided in the Greater Manchester West jurisdiction as well. The cost of the provision is not excessive and would be met in most cases by the charge for the MRI scan in the first place. I have pleasure in urging the Committee to accept the two amendments, particularly amendment 188.