Community Deceased Removals

Description

The Coroners Service of Staffordshire & Stoke-on-Trent wishes to establish a contract with supplier(s) to transport and store community deceased patients on behalf of HM Coroner whilst they are awaiting the outcome of the initial investigations and transport for a post mortem where necessary. 
This function is currently carried out by a number of Funeral Directors within the Stoke on Trent and Staffordshire area, however this needs to be reviewed to ensure best value and fair practice as per the Procurement Act 2023.  
The current contracts cover the following areas:
Burton
Cannock
East Staffordshire
Lichfield
Newcastle-under-Lyme
South Staffordshire
Stafford
Staffordshire Moorlands
Stoke on Trent
The Coroners Service of Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent, have a number of key performance indicators that must be met in order for a contract to be awarded, these are:
- A deceased is required to be removed from the specified community area within a 60-minute response time, subject to already being engaged on an existing call.  Should this be the case coroners call will be prioritised to the next pending call out.
-	On arrival to the scene the Funeral Director staff will be suitably attired in anonymous uniform and vehicles that carry fit for purpose equipment to perform task. 
-	The Funeral Directors will be prohibited from any form of solicitation but should they be asked where the deceased is to be taken must be able to state the temporary location prior to coroner's mortuary.
-	The Funeral Directors will use purpose-built vehicles for the transportation of bodies to and from all locations. These vehicles will be un-liveried and clean. 
-	All deceased will be placed in a single use cadaver bag and identification wristlet place on opposing ankle and wrist. ID details will be Name and Address.
-	Any next of kin, family and friends present at the time of removal will be provided with coroner's information guide by the Funeral Director.
-	All deceased transferred from the community must be transferred one deceased at a time, unless:
a)	Informed to transfer direct to mortuary.
b)	Collecting deceased from a 3rd party funeral director during
           business hours enroute to the mortuary as part of daily transfer.
c)	Multiple fatality.   
-	Any deceased will automatically be transferred to the Funeral Directors until requested by the mortuary for transfer.
-	The Funeral Directors will then have a maximum of 48hrs to transfer deceased to the specified mortuary when contacted by the Public Mortuary or Coroners Service. If any case is required urgently then this information may be related verbally and the instruction will be prioritised for transfer as soon as possible.