NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde is investigating a serious mortuary error at Queen Elizabeth University Hospital after the wrong body was released and cremated. The incident, which occurred in November 2025, affected two families and was discovered only after cremation had taken place. Health officials have acknowledged procedural failures in body identification and have suspended staff pending a full inquiry. The case has raised concerns about adherence to mortuary protocols and oversight in hospital bereavement services.
A serious administrative error at a major Glasgow hospital resulted in the cremation of the wrong body after a failure in mortuary identification procedures. The mistake occurred when an incorrectly identified body was released from the hospital mortuary and handed over to funeral services. The error was discovered only after the cremation had already taken place.
The incident involved NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, the health board responsible for the hospital. Two bereaved families were directly affected. One family unknowingly cremated the wrong individual, while another family was deprived of the opportunity to conduct funeral rites for their deceased relative. The health board has formally acknowledged responsibility for the incident.
The incident took place in November 2025 at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow, Scotland. The error came to light later in the month after routine checks revealed inconsistencies in mortuary records following the cremation process.
According to statements issued by the health board, the error resulted from failures in standard identification and verification procedures within the hospital mortuary. Mortuaries follow strict protocols that include body tagging, documentation checks, and cross-verification before releasing a body to funeral directors. In this case, those checks were not completed correctly, leading to the release of the wrong body.
Hospital mortuaries manage deceased patients using structured systems designed to maintain identity integrity from admission to release. These systems typically involve multiple identifiers, including wrist tags, mortuary labels, and accompanying documentation. Any lapse in this process can result in serious consequences, including emotional distress for families and breaches of professional and ethical standards.
Errors in post-death handling do not involve clinical care, but they remain a critical part of healthcare governance. Accurate identification is essential to ensure dignity of the deceased and to support families during bereavement.
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde issued an apology to the families involved and confirmed that a full internal investigation is underway. The health board stated that staff members connected to the mortuary process at the time have been suspended while the investigation proceeds. Support services have been offered to the affected families.
Senior officials acknowledged that established safeguards should have prevented the error and stated that corrective measures will be implemented following the investigation’s findings.
The incident has drawn attention to the importance of governance and quality assurance in hospital bereavement and mortuary services. These services rely on coordination between hospital staff, mortuary technicians, and funeral providers. Clear documentation, staff training, and audit mechanisms are essential to prevent such errors.
Scottish authorities have been informed of the incident and have requested a detailed report from the health board. The findings of the investigation are expected to guide improvements in mortuary procedures and oversight to reduce the risk of similar incidents in the future.
(Rh/SS)
