Tauranga autopsies move to Rotorua, Hamilton

File photo / Bay of Plenty Times

The closure of the mortuary room at Tauranga hospital means post-mortems from the city will be carried out in Rotorua and Hamilton, the Ministry of Justice says.

The Bay of Plenty District Health Board (DHB) closed the mortuary room last Friday, with DHB chief executive Phil Cammish saying the ministry had failed to keep it up to adequate standards.

The ministry had known the room did not meet minimum standards for more than two years, Mr Cammish said.

A ministry spokeswoman said today that arrangements had been made for coronial post-mortems to be carried out in Hamilton and Rotorua while discussions with the DHB over the future of mortuary services in Tauranga continued.

Mr Cammish said the ministry had agreed in January to find a new service within three months.

The autopsy room was below safety standards and would need $2.5 million spent on it to bring it up to standard.

The facility is owned by the DHB and the ministry had a contract to use the building for the provision of autopsy services.

- NZPA