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Commercial Partnership

Partnership Benefits

With our partners we undertake to:

 

  • Reduce the number of invasive post-mortems

  • Offer a front line and dedicated service

  • Write bespoke protocols

  • Write a bespoke Service Level Agreement

  • Offer state of art support for the existing infrastructure

  • Offer choice for the community and the coroner

  • Reduce expenditure or keep costs neutral wherever possible

  • Offer the ability to revisit data and images, useful in criminal cases.

Digital Autopsy Facility Types

Digital Autopsy UK can help address your concerns and issues by changing how death is investigated. It is now recognised that the traditional autopsy is not always necessary.

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The current demand for a less-invasive autopsy service  continues to grow. There are important religious and cultural benefits to non-invasive post-mortems and, with the recognition that there is no longer the need to undertake a traditional post-mortem in certain types of death,  Digital Autopsy UK can meet these demands.

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With  considerable experience of providing Digital Autopsy Services within the UK, we are the perfect partner to assist in making the transition from traditional Coronial/Pathology services to a more seamless digital service, with the benefits that this brings.

The Digital Autopsy Facility (DAF) model is the provision of a fully functioning facility in the form of either a self-contained Digital Autopsy suite or the refit of an existing building or room to supply a facility to meet the demands of the location, be it a Digital Autopsy suite or a refit.

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Digital Autopsy UK will operate the facility and perform Digital Autopsies on all cases (with Coronial consent) and will be to bespoke Standard Operating Procedures agreed with the Coroner and the Local Authority. Digital Autopsy UK will, if possible, partner with the local NHS Trust to subcontract the radiologists, radiographers and APT staff to operate and assist in the imaging process, angiography and reporting process. Full training in the processes will be given by Professor Ian Roberts and Dr Zoe Traill who work in a consultancy capacity for Digital Autopsy UK.

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The facility would be part of the Digital Autopsy UK network, images generated from each Digital Autopsy being sent to a fully secure data store before processing and reporting by Digital Autopsy UK fully trained UK based radiologists. Our Datacentre operations are located within a Government approved impact level 5 secure datacentre facility which operates to ISO27001 and HM Government Infosec standards.

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Within the provision of such a facility Digital Autopsy UK use experienced Project, IT and Service teams in order to provide a complete package from the project inception to being fully operational. To achieve this seamless transition Digital Autopsy UK undertake to provide the following:

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  • Depending on the type of facility Digital Autopsy UK will either remodel an existing facility or provide a purpose built self-contained Digital Autopsy suite.

  • Full feasibility study of the proposed site will be carried out.

  • Heads of Terms.

  • Planning proposal including design and drawings.

  • Enabling works.

  • Provision of hardware including CT scanner.

  • Data Storage. Our Datacentre operations are located within a Government approved impact level 5 secure datacentre facility which operates to ISO27001 and HM Government Infosec standards.

  • Provision of Digital Autopsy UK proprietary software which has been specifically forensically designed for imaging and to meet the security and reporting requirements of the medicolegal process.

  • Software for calcium scoring.

  • The facility will be built to comply with the radiation regulations and advised by the RPA.

  • Full training of pathologists and radiology staff and upskilling where necessary will be provided.

  • Fully trained UK based GMC registered radiologists for timely reporting.

  • Reporting infrastructure to meet agreed performance indicators.

  • Digital Autopsy UK Service Department to assist and coordinate in the registration of referrals, provide a main point of contact for Corners Officers and mortuaries whilst also monitoring and managing the workflow and reporting of cases.

  • Do you have a lack of pathologists available to conduct post mortems?

  • Do you want to be able to offer a Digital Autopsy as the first line of intervention where there is a need for a post mortem to help determine a cause if death?

  • Do you carry out under 600 post mortems a year?

 

If the answer to any of these questions is ‘Yes’ then the use of the Image Exchange Portal (IEP) technology might provide the solution for you to access Digital Autopsies.  The use of the IEP is designed for locations where the number of post-mortems carried out does not commercially support a full DA Facility being delivered.

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How does it work?

Working in partnership with your NHS Trust DA UK would arrange for:

  • The deceased to have a digital autopsy utilising existing CT scanners within the Trust

  • The images to be uploaded to the IEP by the Trust.

  • DA UK to access the images and provide a report to HM Coroner, using their Radiologists.

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HM Coroner then has three decisions to make:

  • Do you want a radiologist to propose a cause of death within the report?

  • Do you want the report to be sent to you own Pathologists for a proposed cause of death?  OR

  • Do you want DA UK to provide a Pathologist for a proposed cause of death?

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Benefits

  • The use of the IEP web based application allows the Trust to securely and safely upload the digital autopsy images to the system for access by DA UK.

  • It is a much more cost-effective way of accessing Digital Autopsy for a relatively low number of scans.

  • There is no need to purchase a CT scanner as an existing one would be used.  It is unlikely that you would be able to fully utilise a new CT scanner.

  • With a KPI of 24 hrs from the time images are received by DA UK to the receipt of a full report for consideration by HM Coroner, there are potential reductions in body storage costs, ability to list inquests quicker and in most cases a reduction in the need for histology samples. 

  • DA UK can provide training for radiographers, protocols and help to set this up with your NHS Trust

The Turnkey concept is based primarily on the Client retaining operational rights for the Digital Autopsy facility whilst at the same time Digital Autopsy UK retaining the reporting rights. This concept is intended for both the home markets and addresses the need for such facilities on a global scale.

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In establishing such a facility, the Client will pay Digital Autopsy UK to carry out all the work associated with the delivery and installation of a traditional Digital Autopsy Facility be it a refit or a self-contained Digital Autopsy suite. By working with existing suppliers Digital Autopsy UK undertake to provide a facility at an agreed location in an agreed timeframe. On completion of the construction works the facility will become the property of the client who will be responsible for the maintenance and operation of the facility.

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As part of the contractual agreement Digital Autopsy UK will undertake to provide the Client with the infrastructure to send data for reporting purposes. The generated data will be reported remotely (as with the DA Light model), the Digital Autopsy reports being provided using Digital Autopsy UK proprietary software with the images being interpreted by suitably qualified Digital Autopsy UK Radiologists and reported within agreed timelines.

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Within the provision of such a facility Digital Autopsy UK use experienced Project, IT and Service teams in order to provide a complete package from the project inception to being fully operational. To achieve this seamless transition, Digital Autopsy UK undertake to provide the following:

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  • Depending on the type of facility Digital Autopsy UK will either remodel an existing facility or provide a self-contained Digital Autopsy suite.

  • A full feasibility study of the proposed site will be carried out.

  • Consultancy with existing stakeholders.

  • Heads of Terms.

  • Planning proposal including design and drawings.

  • Enabling works.

  • Provision of hardware including CT scanner.

  • Data Storage. Our Datacentre operations are located within a Government approved impact level 5 secure datacentre facility which operates to ISO27001 and HM Government Infosec standards.

  • Provision of Digital Autopsy proprietary imaging software which has been specifically designed to meet the security and reporting requirements of the medico legal process.

  • The facility will be built to comply with the radiation regulations and advised by the RPA.

  • Full training of pathologists and radiology staff will be provided.

  • Fully trained UK based GMC registered radiologists for timely reporting.

  • Reporting infrastructure to meet agreed performance indicators

  • What is the cost to the local authority for a Digital Autopsy carried out by Digital Autopsy UK?
    The costs of a Digital Autopsy will depend on the type of facility and how much Digital Autopsy UK have invested in it. Digital Autopsy UK sign long term agreements to provide the service and to ensure that we make the price per DA cost neutral wherever possible to the local authority meaning they would hopefully pay no more than they currently do for a traditional post-mortem. It may even be possible to reduce costs as digital autopsies often provide a saving on areas such as Histology for local authorities.
  • How long does a Digital Autopsy take?
    A Digital Autopsy will take between 20 & 30 minutes. If angiography is required, this would take a further 10 minutes.
  • What do Digital Autopsy UK provide?
    Depending on the type of facility (See types of facilities) Digital Autopsy UK would provide and arrange all aspects of a Digital Autopsy suite from the CT Scanner, to the software, radiation protocols and staff. Our vast experience in this field allows us to ensure that when looking at a digital autopsy service, Digital Autopsy UK can fully meet the needs of both HM Coroner and the local authority.
  • Do Digital Autopsy UK provide transport?
    Yes, if required Digital Autopsy UK will be able to provide transport to collect and return the bodies to where they came from.
  • Is training included for Pathologists, Radiographers, Radiologists and APT’s?
    All training is provided by Digital Autopsy UK. Professor Ian Roberts would provide full training to all pathologists and Dr Zoe Traill provides all training to the Radiologists. Radiographers will be trained on the CT scanner by a Digital Autopsy UK member of staff and our Angiography Technician will provide training to all APT’s if required. This will be an ongoing process to ensure the best possible results and care for the deceased.
  • How long will it take to set up the service with Digital Autopsy UK?
    This will depend on the type of facility you are looking. If you are looking at the digital light system it can literally be as soon as you want – we can scan for you as soon as the Contract is signed. For a general DA facility it is usually between 12-16 weeks. A lot depending on how quickly we can source a CT scanner for you – delivery times vary.
  • How long does it take to receive the report?
    It generally takes less than 72 hours (excluding weekends and bank holidays) to arrange for a deceased to have a digital autopsy, complete the digital autopsy and for the Coroner to receive the report. This report will be the full, comprehensive report as opposed to one merely giving a suggested cause of death. This means that the Coroner has all the information they need following the Digital Autopsy to allow them to consider releasing the body of the deceased and potentially moving to an inquest, where no other reports or witnesses are required.
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