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BBCFamilies cannot say goodbye to loved ones due to changes in death certificates that have also led to superpopulated mortuaries, said a funeral director.
Geraint Griffith said they were between 10 and 20 days for the bodies to arrive due to the new system, introduced in September, which said it was difficult to make them seem presentable for their loved ones.
The overcrowding has also led to hundreds of bodies to move to other mortuaries in the last six months, and Griffith said families were not informed.
Wales’ main forensic doctor said he was working “tirelessly” to address delays.
According to the new system, a partial introduced foreman in response to the deaths caused by Harold Shipman serial killer, all deaths not investigated by a coroner must be reviewed independently by a coroner doctor before a death certificate can be issued.
Griffith, director of funeral in Pontypridd, Rhondda Cynon Taf, said: “It is wrong for families who cannot say goodbye to their loved ones.
“There is no other way of saying it, they are absolutely devastated.”
He said that he would take about three or four days when a body was discharged from a hospital morgue to a funeral director, but this took 10 to 20 days.
“I have had to remove family families from coming to the rest chapel because I cannot make their loved ones appear sufficiently for the time to pass and the registration.
“It is very traumatic for them and is causing families to have a lot of anxiety, a lot of stress and pain. It is not necessary to happen.”
As a result of delays, health boards have to move bodies among hospitals to ensure that morgues do not exceed capacity.
The CWM TAF Morgannwg Health Board, which covers Rhondda Cynon Taf, Bridgend and Merthyr Tydfil, transferred approximately 500 patients who died between September and mid -March, according to a request for freedom of information from the BBC Wales (FOI).
The Health Board said that this was qualified by “extreme pressure due to the longest duration of the stay”, adding that it appreciated the time after death was “distressing” for families and that its priority transport was “maintaining the dignity of that person.”
Griffith said he was not surprised that the bodies moved, but that families were not told.
“I think that if families knew exactly, transport and moves at some time from 20 to 25 miles from one hospital to another, I don’t think they are focused on that.
“And again, the transport period that did not refer,” he said.
On the other hand, the Aneurin Bevan Health Board said that it had moved 229 bodies between mid -September and the end of February, Swansea Bay 98 and Hywel Dda 21.
Cardiff and Vale Health Board said that “it was not possible to” provide counting and Betsi Cawaldr said they had not moved people due to space shortage, only for post -mortem exams.
Iwan Evans, funeral director at Carmarthenshire, said there was no blame for the morgue staff or any specific health board, adding that there was a “natural pressure” in the winter months due to an increase in deaths.
But he said that the lack of capacity in the mortuary of the hospital was “definitely” a direct result of the “bureaucratic” medical system.
“When we are alive, we trust doctors, but then, after death, this whole system is in its place to review and monitor the doctor’s work.
“I don’t think it’s 100% suitable for them to review each death.”
Health is divided into Wales, but death certificates are not.
Evans said the Welsh government should intervene.
“There are systems to take care of the deceased worldwide, but the situation we have is that our Senedd, where Health Bone The Porn is responsible for another Parliament for this matter.”
Rachel Bradburne, of the National Association of Funeral Directors, said that the “fragmented” nature of the system was “frustrating” and that the current system was “full of bottlenecks and delays.”
Jason Shannon, Forensic Doctor of Wales, said he recognized the importance of “perfect and timely death certification.”
“We sympathize with loved online experience and we are working tirelessly with all professionals and organizations involved in the death certification process to address the delays that are experienced new changes in the Death and Wales Death Certificate System.”
The Welsh government apologized to families that had experienced delays and said the changes were designed to “strengthen safeguard.”
He added that he was working with the main forensic doctor, the NHS and other organizations to provide additional support.
The Department of Health and Social Care said that the changes supported “vital improvements to patient safety” and provide comfort and clarity to accumulated.
“We recognize that there are significant regional variations, and we are actively monitoring the thesis and working closely with the NHS and the Welsh government to quickly address them.”
