Ignoring the Dead & the Consequences

    One of the biggest issues with the funeral industry is a lack of thought or discussion about it.  Not because it is a taboo or inappropriate subject, but for other reasons such as a lack of information and an odd idea that others find it upsetting or taboo.  This lack of discussion leds to serious issues and deregulation.

    Many argue that it is a 'hidden industry' and that most people do not want to know about it.  Either that it is taboo, upsetting or just something to keep quiet.  However I disagree with this entirely.  People are almost always quite happy to talk about it, and actually really interested in the industry.  This is why it started 'The Other Side of Funerals', to feed people the information they crave.

    It was almost surprising the first time I saw the white Toyota van and was told that it was the transfer vehicle.  It was very unexpected to find out that the body is picked up and brought to the funeral home in the back of a Toyota Hiace van.  What was more surprising is how I had never actually thought about this. About how the body is moved about, I knew they would die in hospital then turn up in a coffin at the funeral.  Everything in the middle was an absence, an area I had never avoided because I had never even considered it.  And I think this is the case for most people.  It is not a topic we avoid thinking or talking about, but a topic we never think or talk about.

    When driving families whilst on funerals I never brought up the topic of how the industry worked.  But it was surprising how often and keenly the family asked me about it.  Especially once they realised that I would be open, honest and still quite diplomatic and not graphic about the industry.  One would consider this to be an inappropriate time to discuss these things.  Here they are, in a black car following a hearse containing the body of their loved one.  Yet they always appreciated it, now knowing for sure that their loved one had been treated respectfully and what the basics of the process was.  I never once had a bad reaction from those who asked about the industry.

    A certain mortician at Westmead Hospital once told me about how the hospital had an open day one a year.  And once the heads of the hospital had asked if the mortuary would be appropriate or possible to include in tours.  The mortuary staff agreed, saying they had no issue with showing and explaining to people about the mortuary.  Then the first open day rolled around which would include the mortuary, the staff did not thinking many of the public would be willing or interested.  Yet they had too many people, the day was scheduled to shut at 16:00 and he said they were still letting people inside well after 19:00.  It was a huge success and very popular.  So popular in fact that the hospital then started regular tours, first focusing on bringing people from the military, police, fire brigade and so on, the aim was to let them experience a body and understand the mortuary.  But after a while the mortuary staff put a stop to the tours as they were becoming a 'freak show'.  The hospital even went as far as to invite young boy scouts to see the bodies and mortuary.  So the public is so keen and willing to see a mortuary.

    This defies what I have experienced at most hospitals.  Mortuaries are never labelled on maps or the doors, the only two exceptions I know of being Concorde and Westmead.  Instead the mortuary is down a corridor at the end of a car park and behind doors that look as though they lead to a closet.  Hospitals do their best to hid the fact that they have a mortuary, almost as though admitting its existence would be telling the patients that they will die.  They hide the mortuary as though they are hiding the fact of death within their hospital.  Yet the one time that I know of where they publicised its existence and even held tours it was hugely popular.

    Because we never think of the industry there are a lot of areas and processes which exist, yet are unknown.  They are blankes in how we think.  perhaps the best example in the movement of the body; tehy die in a nursing home and arrive at the funeral already in a coffin.  But how did this happen, how did they make it to the funeral home or into the coffin?  You probably do not know and yet it happens every day.

    There is a lot of misunderstanding about the industry.  Because many do not know much about it they believe the strangest things.  A great one is that gravediggers steal belongings from coffins, a really odd idea.  They barely have time to eat lunch let alone open a whole coffin on the chance that they would get something of value.  Or that undertakers will break a persons legs to fit them in the coffin when breaking legs involves so much work compared to bending them (you bend your legs all the time when you walk or sit, it is not hard), or getting just a bigger coffin.

    But why is it such a hidden and misunderstood industry?  If we are not against talking about it then why do we never actually talk about it?  I have heard many argue that it is a taboo topic, something inappropriate to discuss.  These people then go on to argue how this is changing over time and the industry is now more 'appropriate' to talk about.  While this may have once been true it is no longer the case these days at all.  As I said before, people are really interested in the industry and very rarely take offence to anything said.  There are two reason I believe people do not know about funerals.  The first being that they think others will be offended or find in inappropriate or upsetting.  Discussing how a body is moved and handled could upset someone whose loved one recently died.  And yet this is rarely if ever the case.  People are often more interested as they now have been involved in the process.  Plus they like to know how their loved one was treated.  The second reason is that people have little information about the industry.  How many know someone who works as an undertaker, gravedigger or another similar role?  How many have read a book or seen a movie about the funeral industry and not just one set in the industry?  There is actually rather little information or acknowledgement of the industry.

    So now you might be asking what the result of this lack of knowledge leads to.  Well, it has a direct and serious impact on the industry as a whole.  The first, and most important to many, case is with hospitals.  They hid the morgue for various reasons and this lets the place be mis-managed.  Most hospitals have decent morgues, clean enough and organised well enough.  I have noticed that those with dedicated and full-time staff are by far the best, especially compared to just having casual support staff who take care of the morgue along with many other duties.  Westmead is a good example, with dedicated staff who are responsible for everything they are also proud of everything.  The place is so neat and clean that the blue floors would be more hygienic than your kitchen stove.  With not even a paint chip or scuff mark to be seen then place is actually really nice inside.  At Westmead they also signpost the location of the mortuary, not hiding it from anyone.  However RPA there is no sign to identify it, the mortuary is located in the middle of a service corridor, scuff marks along the walls, rubbish and food processing nearby.  The support staff are always late to arrive, often making funeral staff wait an hour or more, which is then tacked onto the cost of the funeral for the family.  RPA is hated by many in the industry (myself included) and we would never want to have a loved one die in that hospital.  And it use to be worse, much worse.  The old mortuary was even more run-down and mis-managed to the point where they found a dead baby behind a fridge when renovating.  Hiding the mortuary lets problems bread and does not help anyone.

    Another issue from a lack of thought is the deregulation of the industry.  If one wants to become a funeral director all they really need is a briefcase, phone, fax and computer.  Everything else from mortuary to hearse and even staff can be leased out for the day by these "briefcase funeral directors".  The result is that they have little control or influence in the process, allowing for all kinds of misconduct and mistakes.  It was actually rather amusing but when I started in the industry it was discovered that a small catering company who had never organised a funeral got given an important state funeral in Canberra.  Obviously they were the lowest bidder andas such who knows what the funeral was like.  There are no qualifications or credentials needed to join the funeral industry, if you want to join all you should have is a drivers license, and even that is optional.  This deregulation is also having an impact in transfers.  I have heard stories from funeral directors where they have done police transfers, pulling bodies out of cars or taking them from the crime scene to the coroners.  And all they get is a regular suit and a pair of latex gloves.  Appart from the gloves there is little to no protective equipment.  It is not like the movies, or like America, where the coroners has a special and dedicated transfer crew.  Instead in Australia it is just a local funeral home who will take the body from one place to the next.  Yes, just a couple of undertakers working for minimum wage, with no training and no protective equipment are the ones who transfer bodies about.

    Overall the funeral industry is a hidden and unknown one.  But not because it is taboo so much as people do not know about it and some think it will offend people.  This lack of public knowledge lends room for misconduct and deregulation.  No qualifications or training is needed to become a funeral director or transfer bodies from crime scenes or anywhere else.  If the public would look at the industry a little closer regulations which are desperately needed could be introduced.  The public would also find the work and processes to be a lot less upsetting, taboo or grose than thought.

~~

A Shortage of Forensic Space, Organ Donations & Scientific Donations

    There is a severe shortage of organ and body donations around the world.  And Australia is no exception, for example at the start of 2012 several people died after eating poisonous mushrooms.  Every one of these people would have lived had liver transplants been available in time.  Four or so people all died due to there being no livers, in many ways a needless death.

    As such I personally believe that to be on the organ recipient list one should be an organ donor first.  I do not believe in an opt-out system rather than the current opt-in, rather just refuse people getting a transplant if they are against giving an organ.  The main objection to donations is a moral/religious one about dividing up the body is akin to dividing up the person.  I will not argue agains this, not because I disagree, but because it is such an individual personal point.  It is more than just ones beliefe, it is how they see and identify themselves and others.  So pointless or not it is an important reason to some.  However if we use this idea and just change the order in which we think about organ transplants we get a different answer.  We should ask if it is wrong to remove an organ form someone who died then why is it not just as wrong to receive an organ?  If taking an organ out is the same as taking a part of the person themselves out then this is no different with recipients.  For example the original faulty heart is removed and replaced with someone else's.  So why do we never ask if a part of the recipient is now removed in the same way as we ask this about the donnor?  Both had their hearts removed but only one (the donors) is kept 'alive'.  Logically people should not argue against removing organs, they should argue against receiving them.  But this is a little more clear as it would be arguing to let a person die unnecessarily.  If you are against donations then that is fine, but simply flip the order and argue against reception instead and see if the argument changes at all.  Simply put donations can save many people from a pointless death and we are seriously short of donations in Australia.  And if one is against the donation of an organ then they should not be eligible to receive an organ.  Otherwise it is hypocritical.

    People also argue against transplants as a way to stop the black market.  This is just a pointless argument that quite frankly makes no sense.  The fact that there is a black market in organs is evidence that we need to supply more and do more to mainstream the process.  If there were plenty of organs available then there would be no need or room for a black market.  Take cigarets for example, there is little to no black market for them anywhere they are freely available, even despite the high cost in Australia.  Yet they are traded illegally where they are less common.  From poorer nations to prisons, wherever they are scarse there is a black market for them.

    Everyone has an opinion on organ donation, but they often forget about donats to science and teaching.  This is actually a rather important area and issue, medical professionals learn with cadavers.

    There is a significant shortage of bodies donated to research.  Again, one should ask why should people be treated by doctors who learnt with cadavers yet refuse to become a cadaver?  A main objection many raise about being used in research after death is that it is "icky" or that 'bad things go on'.  People do not like the idea of it, viewing the process as cold, inhumane and pointless.  But it is essential to our medical understanding and due to a shortage Australia is starting to lag behind the rest of the world.  This is such an incorrect impression, they are not butchers who just hack up bodies.  Interestingly enough, an anatomy student once said that the vast majority of cadavers for research come from people who did the research.  Not just regular doctors, but specialists; anatomists, medical teachers.  Or from upper education in the medical field such as those who belong to the illuminati.  In other words those who did the research regularly, or had an involvement in it, are the supporters and providers of cadavers.  While the general public, the majority of the users of this research, are against the donations.

    Another area many never think about is where the bodies are kept.  Bodies used for research, court cases or other similar situations are called 'forensic cases' and stored in a separate system to 'regular' bodies.  From the paperwork to the actual fridge they are separate from other bodies until they are no longer considered forensic cases.  And just like with the donations there is a shortage of space for forensic cases.  It is actually quite a serious issue and they are always desperate for more space.  Especially since Westmead Hospital closed down their forensic storage capacity to save money.  There is less space for forensic storage and more demande for it.

    Overall there is a serious shortage of organs, bodies and space for medical or forensic purposes.  And while some have valid reasons not to donate we should all actually think about the issue.  But how about we change the questions a little.  For example do not ask would we donate an organ from ourselves, or our loved ones.  Instead ask would we accept an organ to save our live or the live of a loved one?  Or why it would be acceptable to take an organ but not give one.  Again, we should not falsely think about the bad conditions of becoming a cadaver but rather about the positive outcome.  About our medical staff being properly trained and experienced.

    All the above is an opinion piece to encourage thought and debate.  At the end of the day everyone has a right to their decision, but they should question and evaluate that decision regularly.  If some do not just disagree but are offended or upset by anything here then there is nothing wrong with that.  I do not actually mean to change minds or opinions.  The goal here is to question and think about our attitudes to the processes that go on after death.

~~

Hospital Transfers

    Hospital transfers are generally the more predictable and easier form of transfer.  The first time at a hospital might be tricky, but once you have been there you know exactly what it is like and what to expect.  From then on every trip will be fairly similar and predictable.

    The main issue is usually with the CC (cremation certificate).  It costs $80 to get a CC and often needs to be paid for first.  This means going to a cashier then going back to the records section to collect the papers.  The other common issue is with after hours or if a hospital has dedicated mortuary staff and they are away.  Then it can take a while to get security or someone else to let you in.

    Something which caught my attention was how hidden the mortuaries appear to be.  It is as though to hide the mortuary is to deny that death happens there.  Those that run the hospitals do not want the mortuary to be seen or known of by the public.  As such the mortuary is usually in a service corridor, between the kitchens and laundry rooms.  The mortuary door is unlabelled and looks like a janitors closet.  An interesting correlation is that the hospitals who do not hide the mortuary tend to have the best mortuaries (such as Westmead and Concord).  The ones that hide the mortuary are the ones that tend to have the worst mortuaries (such as RPA).

    Hospital mortuaries usually have a large fridge.  To find the correct body an undertaker enteres this large fridge and 'goes shopping' as someone put it.  This involves going up to each body and checking its ID one by one until the right one is found.  Sometimes you will find the right one first go, but many times it will take a few moments.  Some hospitals (such as Westmead and Concord) keep the bodies on numbered trays.  Others like Royal North Shore have an ID badge on the outside of the body bag.  Both systems make it easier to find the body and can skip the 'shopping' experience.

    A list of hospitals and how to do a transfer there.  Note; this is not a complete list and things are liable to change.  So it is perhaps not an accurate list.

Concorde:
This is a good hospital. The mortuary is basic, kind of dark, but it is always clean and organised. The administration in this hospital is also very good and efficient. The mortuary staff are also great to work with. It is also one of the only hospitals which signposts the location of the mortuary.

Contacts:
- Switchboard: 9767 5000.
- Fax: 9767 6991.
- Address: Hospital Rd, Concord West NSW 2138

1. Enter via the gate at the intersection of Nullawarra Ave and Boronia St, Concorde West.
2. Head over to the records building for both the DC and CC.
3. Collect the papers from records and head to the mortuary which is just back down the road and on the left as you exit.
4. Wait for the staff to show up.  This is the only issue as it can sometimes take time.  It should be noted that they will try to drop what they are doing and prioritise getting to you.  So do not bug them too much.
5. Let them know who you need, sign out the body and go.  That’s it!

Greenwich Hospital:
A good hospital and mortuary. However there are no dedicated mortary staff, although the medical and admin staff here are good. The only tricky part is how spread out everything is and how one has to go up and down levels to get everything. If you go around the back and basically in what appears to be a staff door then you will have a lift that can take you everywhere.  Saving yourself a lot of unnecessary trouble and walking.

Contacts:
- Main Number: 9903 8333.
- Fax: 9903 8269.
- Address: 97-115 River Road, GREENWICH NSW 2065.

1. Enter via the lights on River Rd, Greenwich, near Standish St.  Watch out as the sign for the hospital is a large white board behind some bushes and with small writing.  This makes it easy to miss.
2. Drive up the hill and park by the mortuary first, it is an older green garage door on the left as you go up the hill.
3. Go in the doors to the left of the garage. There you will find the lift that can take you everywhere and saves walking up and down stairs and slopes.
4. If you need a CC head over to reception first to collect the receipt. This is up on level 2.
5. Next go the records office, on level 1, turn right as you exit the lift and right again.
6. The staff will get the appropriate papers then accompany you to the mortuary which should be right next to where you parked (on level G).
7. Reverse into the now open garage and shut the door to conceal what is happening.
8. Sign out the body as with many other hospitals and head out shutting the garage door behind you.

Royal North Shore:
RNS is a great hospital. Everything is close and easy to get to. Sure there is a long walk from the van to the mortuary, but it is an easy and level walk. Then the records are right next to the mortuary. But one of the best things about this place is the staff. It shows how having dedicated mortuary staff makes a huge difference. The other thing here is do not annoy the mortuary staff or they can make things difficult.

Contacts:
- Main Number: 9926 7111.
- Fax: 9926 7779.
- Address: Reserve Road, ST LEONARDS NSW 2065.

1. Enter via Westbourn St, St Leonards, just off the Pacific Hwy.
2. Turn right where the ‘Emergencies’ sign points; just after all the parallel parking, before the round about area.  Follow the road around and turn into the car park on the left just after the ambulance bay.  Opposite the hospital entrance there is a driveway with a chain across it.  Remove the chain and
reverse up around the corner, you want to be as out of site and close to the doors as possible.  Put the chain back lest you get parked in.
3. Grab your trolley and proceed through the wide door behind you. You will walk along a long and high corridor that reminds people of mine shafts.  Keep following the corridor until you get to a fork, here the middle tunnel will lead down to another level and has “Restricted Access” signs on it.  You want to go in a door to the right of that tunnel.
4. Go in the first door and stop at the second, here you just ring the buzzer and announce yourself when they answer.  If nobody is there use the phone to call security, or if they are busy call the switchboard operator.  It’s a 24 hour operation so someone will be about to let you in.
5. Once in you will notice the mortuary is a long corridor with the fridge on the left and another door at the end.  Which ever one of you is in charge of paperwork will now continue out the other door.  If and only if you need a CC then you will need to go up to level 10 and pay the cashier before coming back down.  As you exit the mortuary you will have noticed on the right is Medical Records.  This is where you go to actually collect the DC and CC.
6. While one person is collecting the paperwork the other will collect the body.  Head into the big fridge and ‘go shopping’.  The bags are almost always clearly marked and labeled here to make it easier for you.  Once you’ve located the correct body wheel them out into the corridor/mortuary.
7. Check for valuables and if infections!! Place your wrist tag on the deceased.
8. Wedge the deceased on the hospital trolley against the wall and place your trolley between you and the deceased.  Now simply slide them from the hospital trolley to your trolley.  This is a one person operation due to the convenient height and shape of the hospital trolleys here.
9. Complete the mortuary book and head out.

<> RNS is under renovations and due to move the mortuary. So in not long the system here will be completely different <>
Royal Prince Alfred:
Simply put I hate this place (as do most undertakers).  It is the most disrespectful mortuary in NSW by far. The staff themselves are nice enough, and do try. However the whole system is just shocking and regards the dead as a nuisance. RPA is a great hospital with wonderful administration and doctors. So if sick go here. However if you are to die it would be better to do so on the street as the dead are disrespected so much at RPA.

Contacts:
- Main Number: 9515 6111.
- Fax: 9515 6133.- Address: Missenden Road, CAMPERDOWN NSW 2050.

1. Book the wards-man before you even set off.  R.P.A is the
only place where you will need to book the wards-man in advance.  Just be aware that booking them will not mean they show up on time.
2. Enter via John Hopkins Drv, Camperdown, just off Misseden Rd.
3. Drive around back, head to the little brick church behind the main hospital building.  Just opposite the church is a driveway that goes up into a sealed car park.  Buzz secruity on the intercom and head in.  The parking space is at the end and on your left.
4. You will enter the building on level 2 and the mortuary is just down the corridor past the lifts and to the right.  These lifts will take you directly to Medical Records, but not to the Cashier.
5. If you need a CC go to the cashier next to reception on level 1 first and collect the receipt.
6. If you only need a DC or have a receipt then go to Medical Records on level 4.  If going straight from reception you will need to head over to the North Elevator down the corridor.  Do not go up the first lift you see or you will get stuck at a dead end.
7. Collect the DC and CC (if needed) from Medical Records and make sure they ring the wards-man before heading to the mortuary.
8. Sit and wait.  You can wait an hour easily, and if they are there in 30 minutes or less count yourself lucky.  An issue here is that there use to be a row of dirty discarded chairs to at least sit on.  Now there are none.
9. Once the wards-man shows up head in, show him the papers and sign the body out.  Sometimes you will have to get the body yourself as they might be slow or unwilling.
10. Check for valuables and if infections!! Place your wrist tag on the deceased and fill in the mortuary book.

Sacred Heart Hospice:
This is another pretty good hospital.  The staff are usually fast and helpful.  However they can be a bit slow sometimes.  The entrance to the morgue is easy to miss, so keep and eye out for the crossing and look for the driveway on the right.

Contacts:
- Main Number: 9361 9444
- Address: 170 Darlinghurst Road, DARLINGHURST, NSW 2010.

1. Enter via Darlinghurst Rd, Darlinghurst.
2. Go in the gate, use the one on the left.
3. Park somewhere inside out of the way, one person should wait in the car while the other continues inside for the papers.
4. Reception is just inside and on the right (similar to St Vincents Private).  You will need to sign a book, get the papers and you
must get the key.  This will let you into the garage for the mortuary and the building itself.  Either are impossible without it.  Make sure they also call the mortuary staff to let them know you are on the way.
5. Head to the mortuary on Victoria Rd.  To do this drive out and turn right onto Darlinghurst Rd.  Go right at Burton St and then right once more at Victoria Rd.
6. The entrance is on the right opposite St Vincents Private, just after a crossing.  Swipe the key at the boom gate to enter.
7. The mortuary is down the end on the left, but you will need to back up to it.  So drive in and turn right so you head to the wall, this will let you reverse down the car park and up to the mortuary.  It is the glass door between the yellow bollards.
8. Swipe the key once more and make your way in, go right and then left into a long corridor.  The first door on the right is the mortuary, wait here for the staff.  This can take some time but is usually not too bad.
9. Check for valuables and if infections!! Place your wrist tag on the deceased and fill in the mortuary book.
10. Once all is done you will need to return the key to the staff member.  To exit into the car park there is a swipe pad to the left of the doors, just waving your hand by it is enough to open it.

St Vincents Private Hospital:
St Vincents private and public hospitals both share the same mortuary and basically the same procedure.  The main difference is just where you go to  get the paperwork.  The staff at both hospitals are also usually good, especially the dedicated mortuary staff.  It can be off-putting to go to the mortuary due to all the ‘No Entry’ signs and that you are driving down a park.  But it is ok, this is a service road for the hospital.

Contacts:
- Main Number: 8382 6222.
- Address: 438 Victoria Street, DARLINGHURST NSW 2010.

1. Enter via Victoria St, Darlinghurst.  Pull over and wait where all the cars are parked at a 45 angle.
2. Enter the hospital and head to reception for the DC or CC.  Fill in their book and let them call the mortuary to let them know you are on the way.
3. Head over to the mortuary, it is located in Barcom Ave.  To get there continue up Victoria St, turn left on Oxford St and then left right away into Barcom St.  Do not follow the road to the right but go straight up the brick roadway in the park.  Ignore the ‘No Entry’ signs.  There is a garage door on the left not too far down the roadway.  This is the mortuary entrance so reverse up to it.  In many cases it will already be opened for you.
4. Let the staff know who you are after and they will get the body.
5. Check for valuables and if infections!! Place your wrist tag on the deceased and fill in the mortuary book.
6. Load up the body and that is it.

St Vincents Public Hospital:
St Vincents public and private hospitals both share the same mortuary and basically the same procedure.  The main difference is just where you go to  get the paperwork.  The staff at both hospitals are also usually good, especially the dedicated mortuary staff.  It can be off-putting to go to the mortuary due to all the ‘No Entry’ signs and that you are driving down a park.  But it is ok, this is a service road for the hospital.

Contacts:
- Main Number: 8382 1111
.- Fax: 9332 4142.
- Address: 390 Victoria Street, DARLINGHURST NSW 2010.

1. Enter via Victoria St, Darlinghurst.  Turn left
just after the ‘Emergency’ sign into the temporary waiting area.
2. One person will wait in the car while the other heads in to get the paperwork.
3. If you need a CC go to the cashier first to pay for it.  They are located a little further down the corridor and on the right, opposite the ATM machine.
4. Go to reception next to the entrance for the DC and CC itself (it is on the right as you entered; similar to Sacred heart Hospice).  You will need to sign a book here and let them know who you are after before getting the DC or CC.
5. Make sure they call the mortuary and let them know you are on the way.
6. Head over to the mortuary, it is located in Barcom Ave.  To get there continue up Victoria St, turn left on Oxford St and then left right away into Barcom St.  Do not follow the road to the right but go straight up the brick roadway in the park.  Ignore the ‘No Entry’ signs.  There is a garage door on the left not too far down the roadway.  This is the mortuary entrance so reverse up to it.  In many cases it will already be opened for you.
7. Let the staff know who you are after and they will get the body.
8. Check for valuables and if infections!! Place your wrist tag on the deceased and fill in the mortuary book.
9. Load up the body and that is it.

Westmead:
Westmead has hands down one of the cleanest mortuaries you will ever find.  Do NOT take your trolley inside the mortuary.  They have lovely blue floors and do not want scuff marks, so if you try to take the trolley inside you may find yourself in trouble.

Contacts:
- Main Number: 9845 5555.
- Fax: 9845 5000.
- Address: Cnr Hawkesbury and Darcy Roads, WENTWORTHVILLE NSW 2145.

1. Enter via the lights on Darcy Rd, Westmead.
2. Follow this road and stop at the main entrance in the 15min temporary parking area.  Whoever is in charge of paperwork will head inside.  Go in down the large corridor on the right and just to the left you will find Medical Records/Reception, it is an office set-up with lots of little cubicles and chairs to wait in.
3. Skip the queue (if there is one) and head straight to the counter.  They will recognise who you are and see you straight away.  This is where you pay for CC as well as collect the CC and DC.  Once you have all the paperwork head over to the mortuary.  
4. Continue up this road and turn left on Hawksberry Rd.  Turn left back into the hospital just after the round about and turn right straight away.  basically follow the ‘NETS’ signs until you see signs pointing to the mortuary.
5. This next part is the only issue with Westmead.  You will need to pass through two security boom gates.  Press the buzzer and prepare to wait a while, I have waited over 25mins before someone behind us got out and used their staff card to open the gate.
6. After passing a second boom gate there will be an awning on the right, head over here and reverse up to the big roller door.  Use the bell on the pillar to ring the mortuary staff.  If after hours or nobody is there then use the phone to call them in.
7. Get your trolley ready but leave it in the loading dock!  Never take your trolley onto the blue floor.  They keep it perfectly clean and will either be annoyed you took the trolley in or appreciate that you did not.
8. Hand them all the appropriate paperwork and they will pull out the body for you.
9. Check for valuables and if infections!! Place your wrist tag on the deceased and fill in the mortuary book.
10. Transfer the deceased to your trolley and into the car in the loading bay.  Make sure to fill in the mortuary book.

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