The whole point of our work is to help the living

Professor Neil McIntosh

It says that about 30% of consultant posts are now unfilled and few doctors are coming forward for training.

Professor Neil McIntosh, who chaired the working group who drew up the report, said paediatric pathologists played a vital role not only in determining why people die, but in improving health care of the living.

Sample analysis

Their work consists of carrying out post mortems on children who have died, and analysing diseased tissue samples, such as cancerous tumours.

Professor McIntosh told BBC News Online that the service had never been properly structured in the first place, but bad publicity had exacerbated the problems.

He said Professor Dick Van Velzen, the pathologist at the centre of the Alder Hey scandal, had undoubtedly been a rogue, but he said that the overwhelming majority of the profession worked to the highest standards.

He said: "People have undoubtedly been put off the profession and others have been leaving the profession early. A lot of paediatric pathologists have been physically harassed."

Professor McIntosh warned that unless the problem was resolved, child heath would be under threat.

He said: "The health of children will stand still at the very least, and might even deteriorate.

"The whole point of our work is to help the living.

"Without paediatric pathologists families will not be given accurate information at post mortem which might be important for the health of their future children, and if tissue samples are not diagnosed properly sub-optimal treatment will be given."

Recommendations

The College is calling for a major shake-up of the service.

It has sent a raft of recommendations to the medical royal colleges, NHS Trusts and the government. They include:

• new laws relating to organ retention to protect families and NHS professionals
• creating major paediatric pathology centres at selected lead specialist hospitals
• ensuring a high quality post mortem examination is offered as a right to every parent losing a child before or following birth
• paediatric pathologists being available to families to assist in the consent process and to explain their findings

The Alder Hey inquiry found that thousands of children who had died at the hospital were stripped of their hearts, lungs and other organs without the knowledge of their parents.

This triggered a reluctance among parents to agree to post mortems on their children. Many were unaware of the benefits that such a procedure can have and were too scared to consider it.