A mother from Northern Ireland, Victoria Buckley, has expressed her profound grief and distress over the sending of her stillborn baby, Ollie, to England for a post-mortem examination. Ollie was born at Antrim Area Hospital at 37 weeks in May 2024. Victoria described the experience as “unnatural” and said it would “haunt” her forever.
Currently, there are no specialist paediatric pathologists in Northern Ireland, which has led to interim arrangements with Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool for post-mortem services. Since 2019, 1,105 infants and children from Northern Ireland have been sent to this facility for examinations. The Northern Trust has apologized for the distress caused by the language used in communicating these arrangements, especially considering that several families, including Victoria’s, were facing similar losses at the same time.
The logistical process surrounding the transfer of deceased infants has added to the emotional burden for families like the Buckleys. Victoria shared her heartbreak over having to say goodbye to Ollie twice—once during his birth and again when he was taken by undertakers to Liverpool. She described how a hospital porter left a white metal box for them to place Ollie into, raising fears about how her baby was being transported.
Other parents, like Laura and Andrew Magee, have shared similar experiences. They endured the devastating news of their daughter Poppy’s demise at a 20-week scan and faced unexpected decisions regarding post-mortem procedures that compounded their grief.
Both Victoria and Laura are part of a support group named StrongMumsNI, where they and other bereaved parents have questioned the necessity of transporting deceased babies to England. They have expressed a desire for an all-Ireland service to avoid further traumatizing families during such a sensitive time. The Department of Health in Northern Ireland acknowledges the increased trauma families experience due to this requirement and is exploring options for improving the service.
The shortage of paediatric pathologists is not unique to Northern Ireland, as a worldwide deficit exacerbates these challenges. The Royal College of Pathologists has highlighted these recruitment struggles, indicating that the feasibility of an all-Ireland service is limited by similar staffing issues in the Republic of Ireland.
This situation underscores the deep emotional toll that the healthcare system’s limitations can have on grieving families. As discussions continue about enhancing local services for bereaved families, there is hope for a resolution that allows families to grieve without the added strain of logistical complexities and uncertainty.