title: Health and safety considerations following the death of a patient.
abstract: Arthur, who had spent all his life in Liverpool, came to live with his niece in Brighton. He was in his eighties and systematically prepared for his death. He told her that he would like to be cremated and the ashes returned to Liverpool. On his death in hospital, the family made arrangements for him to be cremated. Unfortunately no one remembered or checked about the fact that a heart pacemaker had been inserted many years before, and when questioned by funeral directors, no warnings were given by the family. The pacemaker exploded in the crematorium and the local authority who was responsible for its upkeep claimed compensation from the family or NHS trust. Who, if anyone, is liable?
authors.affiliation: University of Glamorgan, Wales, UK.
authors.forename: Brigit
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Dimond
mesh_terms: D002423:Cause of Death; D003644:Death Certificates / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D006801:Humans; D016365:Liability, Legal; D017744:Medical Waste Disposal / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D009027:Mortuary Practice / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D010138:Pacemaker, Artificial; D011634:Public Health / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D011850:Radioactive Waste / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D012449:Safety / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D006113:United Kingdom
chemical_list: D017744:Medical Waste Disposal; D011850:Radioactive Waste