Countess Of Chester Hospital Ordered To Pay Mortuary Whistleblowers Nearly £30,000

The Countess of Chester Hospital has been ordered to pay almost £30,000 to two mortuary porters after an employment tribunal found they were victimised for raising concerns about the undignified treatment of deceased patients.

John Crayton (59) and Thomas Jones (48) told the Liverpool tribunal that corpses were sometimes left uncovered on beds or trolleys and that they were required to move bodies without adequate personal protective equipment (PPE), even when infection status was unknown. The pair said these practices risked infection and could compromise forensic evidence.

Judge Jennifer Ainscough concluded the men were credible witnesses and upheld their claims that they were targeted after raising concerns. The tribunal awarded Mr Crayton a total of £17,121 (including £2,121 net for lost wages and £15,000 for injury to feelings) and Mr Jones £12,439 (£1,439 net for lost wages and £11,000 for injury to feelings).

Judge Jennifer Ainscough ruled that John Crayton (left) and Tom Jones were 'credible witnesses' - Jake Lindley

Allegations and Evidence

At the hearing the porters described being instructed to "unwrap the deceased" and to remove jewellery, hearing aids and false teeth — procedures they found disrespectful and distressing. They also said they were once taught to swaddle a body using the corpse of a deceased woman as a demonstration prop.

In written evidence, lead mortuary technician Jamie Cunningham acknowledged: "There are many examples of lack of care for our deceased patients on a daily basis for both hospital and community deaths. I, physically, would not have time to complete the number of Datix Incidents (reports of errors or harm) required to acknowledge this."

After raising concerns early in 2024, the porters said they became the subject of derogatory remarks and jokes, and that Mr Crayton had his mortuary access revoked after being told his worries about DNA contamination implied he had "something to hide". He also reported receiving a text asking whether he had been "caught with his pants down" and said colleagues made jokes referencing Jimmy Savile.

Personal and Institutional Impact

Both men described significant personal consequences: Mr Crayton said the stress contributed to the breakdown of his relationship with the mother of his children, and Mr Jones reported separating from his wife because of the case.

Lucy Letby was convicted of murdering seven babies and attempting to murder six others at the Countess of Chester Hospital

The tribunal’s findings come against a wider context of scrutiny at the trust following the high-profile criminal convictions of nurse Lucy Letby, who was convicted in relation to deaths and attempted deaths of infants at the hospital. The trust was also placed near the bottom of the first NHS league tables published in September, which measure factors such as waiting times, patient experience and staff absence.

Trust Response

The Countess of Chester Trust said it carried out a fact-finding review after the allegations and told the tribunal it followed Health and Safety Executive guidance on PPE, which advises short sleeves so staff can wash hands and forearms. The trust also said there was no evidence that appropriate infection checks were not performed.

While this employment claim has concluded with the tribunal awards, questions about past mortuary practices and wider failings at the trust remain subject to public scrutiny and ongoing internal and external reviews.