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RESOLVED: Cabinet
recommended to Council approval of an increase in the capital
budget for the completion of the build and fit out of the new
public mortuary.
 
REASONS
RESOLVED:

1.    
To enable the Council to make best use of the facilities at
the proposed new mortuary to meet the needs of local residents. The
Council, as the responsible authority for the Northamptonshire
Coroner’s Area, needs to ensure there is sufficient, secure
and suitable provision for the storage of bodies and the conduct of
post-mortems.

2.    
To ensure the Council can meet its obligations under the
construction contract.

3.    
To enable the new public mortuary to be completed and so
maximise the value of the Council’s investment.

4.    
To support delivery of the contract with University Hospitals
of Northamptonshire (UHN) for body storage and transport service
from the agreed start date.

5.    
To support entry into contracts for the provision of mortuary
services with other NHS providers and other public bodies, thereby
maximising value for money from the investment and
service.
 
ALTERNATIVE
OPTIONS:
The project has
reached a critical stage where, in order to maximise the benefit of
the Council’s investment thus far, deliver a new public
mortuary for the county and to fulfil the contract with UHN for the
provision of a body storage and transport service for KGH and NGH
it is imperative that the building works complete. The intention is
to enable a ‘go live’ of the service in March 2026. It
is therefore concluded that the additional budget should be
allocated, so the Council can comply with the law and make required
payments, and the project can proceed to completion.