Health boards installing oversized fridges in mortuaries for obese patients

Health boards are having to buy extra-large fridges for obese corpses in Scotland’s mortuaries.

In the last five years, 41 oversized fridges have been installed across the country to cope with rising levels of obesity.

A freedom of information request by the Scottish Conservatives revealed NHS Grampian has installed 25 spaces for “semi-obese” people and a further three marked as “obese” at its facility at the Foresterhill Health Campus.

The organisation said this has been “required to meet demand”.

NHS Lanarkshire has built six new spaces in its mortuaries for larger patients since 2013, while NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde put in three.

In the Lothians, the health board said two obese fridges were installed last year, while work is currently under way on the refrigerated body store at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary “which will increase capacity for bariatric deceased patients”.

NHS Dumfries and Galloway has also introduced two oversized fridges.

Shadow health secretary Miles Briggs said: “Obesity is fast-becoming Scotland’s number one health crisis.

“This is a problem across all age groups and all sections of society.

“It means people’s lives are being needlessly cut short and the cost to the NHS is rising.

“This research shows the situation is even forcing health boards to invest in bigger mortuary fridges to cater for those obese patients who have passed away.

“Far more work is needed across the board to help get Scotland’s population fitter and healthier.”