A NEWLY built paediatric unit at Southend Hospital is being used as a temporary mortuary due to the number of dead patients.

The unit was built to provide care for children needing accident and emergency treatment and will provide an additional 24 mortuary spaces.

It has been used to look after one body since it was created at the start of the month and takes mortuary capacity at the hospital up to 147 spaces.

The hospital says the increase in patients dying at the hospital is down to an increase in seasonal deaths.

Jon Findlay, chief operating officer at Southend Hospital, said: “There is always a higher than normal death rate over Christmas and New Year and this has put pressure on both the hospital and local funeral directors.

“We have a purpose built, temporary mortuary unit located in the empty A&E paediatric resuscitation area which is a secure, separate area not currently in use for any other patients. When we need to use it, the location is a quiet, private area that has no through traffic from either patients or staff. These people are still our patients and we want to reassure their relatives and loved ones that we are maintaining the utmost dignity and respect for those that have passed.”

A funeral director claims some of the build up of bodies is down to a backlog at the coroner’s office.

Martin Stibbard, director of Stibbard and Sons Funeral Directors, which has offices throughout Southend and Castle Point, said: “This time of year is always difficult. There is always some pressure on all services over Christmas. There has been a high incidence of admissions at A&E.

“We are all working as hard as we can to do our best for families. I know there are measures in place at the hospital but I’m not sure what the root of the difficulties are. However, there is a problem with the coroner’s office. They have been inundated since Christmas so that may well be part of the difficulty.

“They have to carry out investigations into deaths in and orderly manners and can’t release someone before that happens, but we are all working together to resolve the problem for the benefit of families.”

It is hoped the paediatric unit will be able to open for its proper function early next month when the backlog is cleared.