What does a post-mortem involve?

A medical examination of the body after death to find out the cause of death
It usually involves an internal examination, but sometimes a scan is used in addition to or instead of an internal examination
The post-mortem might include:

Toxicology: Tests on fluids like blood and urine to check for drugs, alcohol, or chemicals
Histology: Examining tissue samples under a microscope
Virology: Tests to check for viruses

The post-mortem will be carried out by a pathologist, who is a doctor who specialises in examining bodies to determine the cause of death
The pathologist will work with the Coroner to determine which tests are needed in each case

A pathologist based at the general hospital in Jersey will usually perform the post-mortem
If the death occurred at the general hospital and the conduct of medical staff may be questioned then an independent pathologist is engaged (usually from the UK)
Where the death may be the result of a criminal act, a forensic pathologist will be brought in
A forensic pathologist specialises in examining bodies to collect evidence for use in criminal investigations

After the post-mortem, a short report is sent to the Coroner
This initial report explains what was done, detailing any retained tissues and any further tests that need to be carried out
The body can usually be returned to the funeral director after this initial report has been issued, but an inquest may need to be opened before a funeral can be arranged

A full report is sent to the Coroner once all tests are complete
The next of kin or interested parties can request a copy of the final report
Final reports can take several weeks or months to obtain, especially for complex cases or forensic post-mortems for criminal cases
If an inquest is held, the post-mortem report will form part of the evidence considered by the Coroner

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