The Executive Decision meeting of Waltham Forest Council on Tuesday 12 March 2024 was scheduled to consider a proposed contract for mortuary services with Essex County Council. The meeting was not open to the public.

Mortuary SLA with Essex County Council

The meeting was scheduled to discuss a proposed Service Level Agreement (SLA) between Waltham Forest Council and Essex County Council concerning mortuary services. The report pack indicated that Essex County Council has a reduced mortuary storage capacity and has approached Waltham Forest Council to transport, undertake post-mortems (PMs), and store deceased individuals.

The report pack outlined that Waltham Forest Council's mortuary service has been providing ad hoc support to Essex County Council's Coroner's service since 2021. The proposal was to formalise these arrangements through a contract, which would see Waltham Forest Council provide PMs and storage for up to 1,000 deceased individuals from Essex. Additionally, Waltham Forest Council would undertake the transportation of bodies from various locations in Essex to the East London Forensic Centre (ELFC).

Key objectives for this proposed service, referred to as a Mortuary Logistics Service (MLS), included enhancing resilience for Essex County Council's Coroner's service, improving the traceability of deceased individuals, and increasing operational efficiency. The project also aimed to strengthen stakeholder satisfaction, explore future revenue opportunities with other jurisdictions, and ensure scalability and cost efficiency. A commitment to environmental responsibility was also highlighted, with plans to utilise electric vehicles and paper-free digital workflows, aligning with Waltham Forest Council's sustainability goals and Climate Action Plan.

The report pack noted that the Portfolio Lead Member for Finance and Resources, Councillor Paul Douglas¹, was recommended to approve entering into this contract. It also recommended authorising the Corporate Director of Governance and Law, Mark Hynes², in consultation with Councillor Douglas, to make further changes to the contractual terms.

The report pack stated that not entering into the contract would represent a significant lost commercial opportunity, particularly as the ELFC is under pressure to maximise its return on investment. The proposal was also linked to the Council's Medium Term Financial Strategy (MTFS), with the income generated from the contract expected to contribute to the Council's overall financial position at a time when the Mortuary budget is under pressure to deliver savings.

The report pack indicated that the financial implications were detailed in an exempt appendix, but stated that the additional costs of providing the service would be fully funded by Essex County Council, with no financial risk to Waltham Forest Council's MTFS. The report also detailed risk implications, including initial capital investment, additional staffing, operational control challenges, asset acquisition, and uncertainty over the number of PMs required. It was noted that the contract has a minimum period of 18 months with a rolling contract thereafter.

Legally, the services would be provided in compliance with the Coroners and Justice Act 2009 and the Human Tissue Act 2004. The Public Health Act 1936 was cited as providing the statutory basis for local authorities to provide mortuaries and post-mortem rooms. The report pack stated there were no equality or diversity implications, nor health or crime and disorder implications.