How long does it take for a deceased to be released to the funeral directors after a post-mortem?
If a person is received at the mortuary before approximately 5/6 a.m., they would generally have the post-mortem conducted that day, but if later than this, it may not take place until the following morning. (This is based on post-mortems being conducted at Auckland City Hospital – other hospitals may vary considerably). Once the family have made a decision on which funeral director they wish to use, the funeral director will contact the mortuary to advise their funeral home is caring for the deceased. After the post-mortem is concluded, the hospital notify the funeral directors the deceased is ready to be uplifted and the funeral directors will transfer the deceased back to their premises for embalming.