Hospital builds £4.89m mortuary

The new building will replace the hospital's 1940s mortuary

A £4.89m mortuary is being built at a hospital in Surrey after Runnymede council approved the plans.

The development on a central site at St Peter's Hospital in Chertsey replaces facilities that were built in the 1940s on the edge of the site.

Acting chief of Ashford and St Peter's NHS Trust, Paul Bentley, said it was "long recognised" that facilities were "not as good as we would wish".

He said the new mortuary would provide a better service for the bereaved.

'Better for relatives'

Construction work is expected to get under way next month.

Pathologist Dr Michael Hall said: "New facilities will improve the service for relatives who will not have to travel to the far side of the site at what is a very difficult time for them."

And he added: "It is good to hear that the daily trek for staff from the main buildings at St Peter's to the mortuary facilities on the edge of the site is nearing an end."

He said the mortuary would allow the trust to maintain its accreditation standards and also continue to provide post-mortem services for the local coroner.