MPs Support Notification of Infectious Diseases
Des McNulty, MSP for Clydebank and Milgavie, Tom McCabe, MSP for Hamilton South, Shona Robison, MSP for North East Scotland and SNP deputy spokesperson on Health and Community Care and Mary Scanlon, MSP for the Highlands and Islands and Scottish Conservative and Unionist party spokesperson on Health and Community Care met with representatives from the NAFD to discuss the organisation’s concerns.
Although there is legislation which requires that funeral workers and the general public are made aware if a body is suspected of being infectious, there is a substantial variation in the practices adopted by health authorities, hospitals and coroners regarding contagious diseases and the advice given to funeral directors on handling bodies with infection risk. As a result, funeral directors and their staff are not always informed of the cause of death and this poses a very real and serious risk to health.
By way of a solution, the NAFD in Scotland has proposed a formal code of practice, which controls risk while preserving medical confidentiality after death. The MSPs, who praised the work of the National Association of Funeral Directors in Scotland and its members, are committed to raising the matter within the Scottish Parliament, both through parliamentary questions and by writing to Malcolm Chisholm, Minister for Health and Community Care.
Commenting on behalf of the MSPs, Shona Robison MSP said: “There is a real risk for both members of the funeral trade and the general public. “There are very well defined safeguards enshrined in law to protect the public and funeral workers from infections ranging from simple skin infections to more serious diseases such as Hepatitis C and HIV. Unfortunately, these safeguards are often overlooked.
“I am delighted to demonstrate my support for the essential work of those involved in the funeral trade in Scotland and the valuable service they undertake for us all. However, I shall be pressing the Minister to look carefully at ways in which we can reduce the health risks involved.”
Speaking on behalf of the National Association of Funeral Directors James Brodie, president of the Scottish Area Federation of the NAFD, said: “Notification of contagious diseases is a cross-party issue and a particularly important one for Scotland, since it is common practice in many areas for the deceased to return home for viewing by family members prior to the funeral. A sizeable number of people is therefore potentially at risk of exposure.
“We are most grateful to Shona Robison, Des McNulty, Tom McCabe and Mary Scanlon for their willingness to listen to our concerns, particularly the problems surrounding the lack of notification and the health risks this causes and the management of infection risk. Their positive response demonstrates the seriousness with which MSPs take the issues.”
For further information, please contact: Dominic Maguire, Public Relations Officer of the National Association of Funeral Directors Tel: 0141 423 4400 or Martine Layland at JM Bailey Communications Limited, Tel: 0121 711 4499, Fax: 0121 711 4535, E-Mail: martine@jmbailey.co.uk.