Hillingdon Council has recently announced the completion of an extensive £2.5 million refurbishment and expansion project at the Uxbridge Mortuary.
The facility, situated on Kingston Lane, underwent a two-year transformation to enhance its capabilities and meet the latest industry standards.
The upgraded mortuary now boasts state-of-the-art equipment and offers twice the storage capacity compared to its previous setup. The decision to refurbish the mortuary stemmed from a thorough review conducted by the council, which identified the need for roof repairs, additional workspace, and expanded storage facilities.
One of the significant additions to the facility is a new post-mortem area featuring a ‘negative-pressure’ room. This specialised space aids in containing and preventing the spread of infections. Furthermore, the storage capacity has been doubled, with variable temperature fridges that provide flexibility in managing the mortuary services.
In a commendable move, the Uxbridge Mortuary has also been designed to house a training area to tackle the nationwide shortage of such facilities. Currently under development, this learning space will enable on-site training for aspiring anatomical pathology technicians. They will have the opportunity to observe real-time post-mortem procedures through a live camera feed. The provision of this live feed will also serve as a valuable resource for the police during forensic post-mortem examinations.
The refurbishment project didn’t solely focus on the operational areas. Improvements were made to the personal protective equipment (PPE) area and site office as well, including an enhanced CCTV security system and intruder alarms to ensure the safety of the premises.
Cllr Jonathan Bianco, Deputy Leader at Hillingdon Council and Cabinet Member for Property, Highways and Transport, said: “We’re delighted to have invested in this much-needed refurbishment to a vital facility, bringing it up to the very latest standards and futureproofing it for years to come. “My thanks to the team who continued their vital work on-site throughout the construction and now get to perform their duties in a clean, safe and much-improved environment.”
