Families affected by organ incineration scandal at Cork hospital to receive findings of a review by next Friday

Families of infants who died and whose organs were sent from Cork University Maternity Hospital (CUMH) to be incinerated overseas without consent are now set to be furnished with a long-awaited report into how it happened within the coming days.

Last year RTÉ Investigates revealed that the organs of 18 babies had been sent for incineration from CUMH to Belgium in 2020 along with clinical waste without the knowledge or consent of bereaved parents.

A review of the incidents was initially expected to be completed in October or November last year but was delayed.

This September, families were informed that they would receive a copy of the draft report of the review by “mid-late September”.

Earlier this week families learned that they had to wait for the final report instead of a draft copy that had been promised in previous communications from the team conducting the review.

In correspondence seen by The Echo, families were yesterday informed that the review team “are now at the last stages of finalising the report” and that it is expected that families will receive “the final report by next Friday”.

The correspondence also contained a further apology “for the significant ongoing delays” in providing families with the report.