POST MORTEMS IN IRELAND UP 26% SINCE 2020.

It seems no one is referencing the elephant in the morgue ….

Today, national and local media are reporting that up to 700 coroner requested autopsies are under threat in the South East because consultant pathologists in University Hospital Waterford are withdrawing their services from the 1st of January.

According to the Coroners Society of Ireland “this will cause distress and anguish for families who will face possible lengthy funeral delays” because a funeral cannot take place without a post mortem if the Coroner deems it necessary in establishing the cause of death.

CORONERS ANNUAL REPORTS:

These figures from Coroners Annual Reports show that the need for post-mortems has increased significantly since the Covid 19 vaccine was rolled out in January 2021.

Coroners Annual Reports can be accessed here:

https://www.gov.ie/en/department-of-justice-home-affairs-and-migration/collections/publications-3/#coroners-annual-returns

The years 2018 to 2020 are steady, averaging 3103 post mortems per annum.

INCREASE IN POST MORTEMS CARRIED OUT * :

2021 is 381 (12%) higher.

2022 is 817 (26%) higher.

2023 is 418 (13%) higher.

2024 is 452 (15%) higher.

* based on 2018-2020 average.

These percentages don’t take account of those cases which proceed to inquest which, as can be seen, are also on the rise.

There is a massive backlog in inquests around the country, especially in Dublin, which means that those deaths needing an inquest are not reported as the Coroner Annual Reports only refer to closed cases.

Sudden and unexplained deaths are the currency of post mortems.

There ain’t no other reason for them.

The size and the timing of these increases is significant and in a functioning democracy would be highlighted by the Fourth Estate and investigated by the Dept of Health.

The RTE report also states :

“Mr O’Sullivan said their (pathologists) work is mainly diagnostic work…he said “current HSE diagnostic workload(s) indicate a need for approx. 18 WTE surgical pathologists. This workload is growing at approx. 7-9% per annum which will require ongoing additional posts.”

The diagnostic workload of consultant pathologists is growing at 7-9% p.a. !

Frightening.

That inadvertent comment goes some way towards explaining the amount of serious illness and death now obvious in our communities.

This is at the same time that sudden and unexplained deaths as evidenced in Coroners Annual Reports are up significantly with the reporting of ‘Covid 19’ deaths presumably only responsible for the 2020 rise.

The Covid 19 vaccine program was rolled out in earnest in January 2021, peaking in July of that year. The bi annual booster campaigns still continue to be offered to those aged 60+ with the most vulnerable of those in nursing homes constituting the vast majority of recipients.

One wonders how much choice they have in the matter.

When looking for answers one should always look in the most obvious place.

WATERFORD & THE SOUTH EAST:

https://www.rte.ie/news/ireland/2025/1021/1539818-post-mortems-ireland/

The Coroner for Waterford City, Mr. John Goff, is quoted in this RTE report as saying:

“the situation is “appalling” and warned of delays to funerals and distress for families waiting to bury their loved ones.

Mr Goff said: “Where a coroner’s post-mortem is necessary, the deceased cannot be buried until it’s completed.”

“I met with the hospital management last week and told them the bodies are going to line up outside the mortuary because they can’t be buried,” he said.

“It’s unreal to think that that is likely to happen in Ireland at this time. It’s appalling.”

No one can argue with Mr. Goff’s analysis although I wish he was more forthcoming when Louise Roseingrave and I asked him to comment on this summary of Waterford City Coroner reports in researching our previous article linked below.

Waterford City, Mr. Goff’s coronial district, had a 97% increase in total cases in 2021 and a 90% increase in 2022 compared to 2018/19.

A serious increase in workload.

My guess is that the increase in 2020 reports is due to the legal requirement that all deaths linked to Covid had to be signed off by a Coroner and they could do so without the need for a post mortem as provided by law.

We asked Mr. Goff the following:

Mr. Goff in his first reply directed us to contact the Dept. Of Justice …

and on further probing offered the following …

I have no doubt that coroners in Ireland are way busier than they used to be and that Mr. Goff is doing his best in a desperate situation.

Without doubt there are significantly more sudden and unexplained deaths in Ireland, some requiring a post mortem and some not.

Is it possible that the drastic situation in the South East will put pressure on local coroners not to seek a post mortem in certain cases ?

The figures don’t lie and those scrambling to cover up continue to do so through omission and obfuscation.

There’s a Slow Train Coming up around the bend ….

PREVIOUS SUBSTACK ARTICLE:

This was published on the 10th of August in collaboration with Louise Roseingrave without whose knowledge and experience both articles would not have been possible.

This article details a 30% increase in sudden and unexplained deaths in Ireland with the Kilkenny coroner, Tim Kiely, quoted as saying :

“More people are dying in the community setting without having seen their GP for some time ( A lot of these deaths are ultimately attributable to heart issues which families report the deceased was unaware they had).”

Link to Louise Roseingrave Substack :

https://louiseroseingrave.substack.com/about