Bereaved parents across the UK are waiting more than a year to learn why their child died due to a critical shortage of paediatric and perinatal pathologists, according to a new report by the Royal College of Pathologists. The report describes the national situation as “dire”, warning that services in several regions have “totally collapsed”, forcing grieving families into prolonged and distressing uncertainty. The shortages mean that in some parts of the UK, hospitals are unable to carry out postmortems locally. The bodies of babies and children must instead be transported to other regions – including cases where families in Northern Ireland are told their child must be examined at Alder Hey children’s hospital in Liverpool.
Dr Clair Evans, chair of the college’s advisory committee for under-18 pathology, said the current pressures are placing enormous emotional strain on families. “Our service is in crisis,” she said. “One in five families are now waiting six months or more, and some longer than 12 months. There are simply not enough consultants to undertake this work and families are suffering.” A recent case highlighted by the BBC showed the extent of the delays. Parents Katie Louise Llewellyn and Aled Wyn Jones from Carmarthenshire were still waiting for answers 13 months after the sudden death of their three-year-old son Tomos while on holiday. Wales has only two consultants covering paediatric and perinatal pathology.
Gaps Across the UK
A workforce audit by the Royal College found that Northern Ireland, the south-west of England, and the Midlands currently have no consultants specialising in this critical field. This leaves hospitals with no choice but to transfer cases to other regions, often resulting in “unacceptable delays” for families awaiting test results that determine the cause of death. The report warns that these delays also prevent parents from receiving important medical information that could affect future pregnancies.
Workforce Falling Further Behind
The report outlines severe workforce shortfalls:
• 37% of consultant posts are vacant
• The UK has only 52 consultants, with 13 set to retire within five years
• Just 3% of consultants believe current staffing is adequate
• Only 13 doctors are in training for future consultant roles
Charities say the findings confirm a growing crisis. Dr Clea Harmer, chief executive of Sands, said the delays create “unacceptable and heartbreaking” consequences for parents. She said the charity regularly hears from families left in “limbo” while waiting for crucial answers that determine how they move forward with their lives.
Calls for Urgent Government Action
Campaigners are urging ministers and NHS leaders to address what they describe as an “agonising gap” between a child’s death and the moment families finally understand what happened. Paediatric and perinatal pathologists also play a wider clinical role – diagnosing conditions in sick children and identifying genetic issues that may affect other family members. A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Social Care said the government recognises the distress caused by long delays. They added that the NHS now has record numbers of doctors across most specialties and pointed to a 10-year workforce plan that includes creating 1,000 new specialty training posts, prioritising areas with the greatest shortages. The pressures come amid wider NHS workforce concerns, with recent data showing rising staff vacancies, growing demand on children’s services, and increased pressure on maternity care following several high-profile safety reviews.
