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Bereaved relatives are routinely advised of the location of the post mortem examination and the reasons for the transfer.

There is adequate capacity for conducting routine post mortem examinations in Aberdeen. Locum pathologists are instructed each week to ensure that post mortems are conducted within the target turnaround time of five working days from the later of the Crown instruction or the deceased being admitted to the mortuary.

NHS Grampian provides the postmortem toxicology service for Aberdeen, Grampian and the Highlands and Islands. The Scottish Police Authority (SPA) provides the service for the rest of Scotland. SPA also currently processes priority cases for the whole of Scotland.

The current average turnaround time for post mortem toxicology results for non-priority cases referred to NHS Grampian in 2024 is 15.5 days, calculated from the date the samples arrive at the laboratory.

The current average turnaround time for post mortem toxicology results for cases referred to SPA in 2024, is 28 days for priority cases and 30.8 days for non-priority cases.

These figures are within the target agreed between COPFS and the toxicology providers.

There are no delays in post mortem examinations affecting legal proceedings in Scotland.

In my capacity as Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy, I can confirm that I have not met Echt & Dunecht Against Pylons.

NHS Grampian has provided COPFS with a commitment to implement a forensic pathology service in Aberdeen, including the recruitment of full-time forensic pathologists, and COPFS is supporting that process.

It is however a matter for NHS Grampian to recruit forensic pathologists to provide the services.

All doctors are expected to work within the standards set out by the General Medical Council for good medical practice.

The Royal College of Pathologists and NHS Education for Scotland oversee training standards in pathology and their uniformity across Scotland.

COPFS regularly meets and engages with pathology providers on a range of issues. These also allow discussion on any feedback received. Every post mortem examination report is considered by a COPFS legal member of staff and our investigation is only concluded when we are satisfied that all issues have been addressed.

A death may be considered suspicious if the facts and circumstances suggest it may have been caused as a result of criminality.

When a death is reported to the Procurator Fiscal, it may not be possible to determine from the facts and circumstances known at that time whether the death is suspicious. That may only be possible when the results of further enquiries – such as the findings of a post mortem examination – are known.

Where the death occurred has no bearing on whether or not the death will be investigated as potentially suspicious.

Current forensic pathology service levels in Aberdeen have made no significant impact to the investigation of drug related deaths in Aberdeen.

The majority of post mortem examinations in relation to deaths suspected to be due to the consumption of drugs can be conducted in Aberdeen without any delay.

In Scotland, post mortem examinations instructed by the Crown are performed by Forensic Pathologists and NHS Consultant pathologists. Forensic pathologists perform a mixture of Forensic and non-Forensic examinations.

Aberdeen University provided a Forensic pathology service in Aberdeen in eight of the last ten years. Over those eight years, examinations were conducted by Forensic pathologists covering both Forensic and non-Forensic postmortems and it is not possible to separate the Forensic and non-Forensic pathology costs.

There has been no Forensic pathology service provider in Aberdeen in 2023-2024 and 2024-2025. COPFS-instructed non-forensic examinations in Aberdeen have been conducted by locum NHS consultant pathologists and Forensic services have been conducted by other Forensic service providers in Scotland. It is therefore possible to provide the costs of the Forensic pathology caseload in Aberdeen for 2023-2024 and 2024-2025 (forecasted figures from November 2024 to March 2025) and these are shown in the following table: