A mother has described her distress after her daughter's body was kept in a morgue for three weeks because of a lack of pathologists. Susan Hodgetts, from Bournemouth, said she is still waiting for answers about the cause of death of her 50-year-old daughter, Zoe Loudon-Godfrey.
Zoe, one of the first female train drivers in Bristol for Virgin Cross Country, died after collapsing at her holiday home in Porlock, Somerset, on 9 May. She had been discharged from hospital the previous day after being treated for breathlessness. An ambulance crew performed CPR before she was airlifted to Musgrove Park Hospital, where she was put on life support. On 10 May, doctors told the family that her brain was swollen and she was effectively dead, with the machine only breathing for her.
Ms Hodgetts said hospital staff believed Zoe may have suffered a heart attack, but an official cause of death cannot be given until a post-mortem examination is carried out. However, Somerset Council, which runs the coroner's office, said reduced pathologist capacity in one area of the county has caused delays. A council spokesman apologised and said pressure on pathology services is a national issue, partly due to the number of pathologists entering the profession.
After the BBC published the story, the council confirmed the post-mortem would take place on 31 May. Ms Hodgetts said: 'My daughter's been lying in the morgue for three weeks and [they are] not giving me any answers. I was just distraught today because every day now it's getting more and more unbearable.'
