FOI003441 FOI Environmental Protection

I am submitting a request under the Freedom of Information Act 2000. Please could you provide the following information relating to post-mortem services commissioned by your council or coroner service:
1. The number of post-mortem examinations conducted in your local authority area in each of the last five calendar years (or financial years if more accessible).
2. A breakdown of the types of post-mortems (e.g., standard, forensic, hospital, etc.) if recorded.
3. The number of pathologists currently available or on record for conducting post-mortems within your jurisdiction.
4. Whether your council has outsourced post-mortems to external companies or agencies – if so:
o The names of the companies or agencies used in the past five years.
o The fees paid to these external providers per post-mortem, if available.
5. The current fee structure or rates paid to pathologists per post-mortem, if these are directly commissioned by your authority.
6. The current backlog or waiting list for post-mortems (i.e., number of outstanding or delayed cases), as of the most recent data available.