John Pitchers

Anatomical Pathology Technologist, Chair of AAPT and MSc Public Health graduate. These tweets represent my views, and mine alone.

[John Pitchers @Johnnygcake]

#Winter has to be directed by Reeves and Mortimer, right?! 😵‍💫

[John Pitchers @Johnnygcake]

@AliJaneMoore In my experience, no mortuaries have systems that could be exploited in the same way.

[John Pitchers @Johnnygcake]

I’m 12 mins in and absolutely furious 🤣

[Lucy Easthope @LucyGoBag]

Watching Winter…and hoping it does not make me cross

[John Pitchers @Johnnygcake]

@DrRJWebb Euphemism is genuinely harmful in this context.

[John Pitchers @Johnnygcake]

@LucyGoBag Can I be Noel Fielding? 🙋🏻‍♂️

[John Pitchers @Johnnygcake]

@MacRumors Let’s hope it’s better than Siri AI on the iPhone 🤷🏻‍♂️

[John Pitchers @Johnnygcake]

@LucyGoBag As I’ve said multiple times before, we need national review of mortuary practice and regulation to facilitate a sensible conversation and way forward.

[John Pitchers @Johnnygcake]

@LucyGoBag Some things being heavily criticised by the HTA in reports are the result of systemic issues, largely outside of individual mortuaries’ control. What would be really positive would be if the HTA advocated for system change - I.e. treating the disease, not the symptoms.

[John Pitchers @Johnnygcake]

Nice to see you on The Dog House tonight, @bushontheradio 😘

[Dr Juliet Turner @juliet_turner6]

Today, I photographed honeybees drinking from a stream in a Welsh rainforest.

[John Pitchers @Johnnygcake]

@AliJaneMoore @LucyGoBag Plus, HTA do not regulate vitally important aspects of post-death care (care of the deceased at autopsy, quality and care of dissection, quality of reconstruction). Nobody currently does. We need a sensible conversation/review of mortuary regulation.

[John Pitchers @Johnnygcake]

@AliJaneMoore @LucyGoBag Systemic issues aren’t being taken into account (the culture of extended periods between death/funeral, increase in public funerals/identification by DNA). This all puts severe pressure on capacity, but the onus is solely on the individual establishments to find ways to manage.

[John Pitchers @Johnnygcake]

@LucyGoBag @AliJaneMoore For example, I know of mortuaries who have had documents declared inadequate at recent inspections, when they had been judged perfectly acceptable at previous ones. I’m all for higher standards, but this goalpost-moving needs addressing.

[John Pitchers @Johnnygcake]

@LucyGoBag @AliJaneMoore Also, HTA appears to be taking a much tougher approach to issues found at inspection. It remains to be seen whether this is a formal, permanent change, but you would assume this would require revised standards to be issued…

[John Pitchers @Johnnygcake]

@LucyGoBag @AliJaneMoore HTA classifies shortfalls as Minor, Major and Critical. Also, shortfalls could be against any of the standards, from a chip in a door frame or rust on a trolley, to serious incidents. Unless the shortfalls are broken down into type and severity, proper analysis is not possible.

[John Pitchers @Johnnygcake]

@AliJaneMoore @LucyGoBag Unannounced is now the default inspection model.

[John Pitchers @Johnnygcake]

@dqmb29ccrw @quietbatwoman @bmay Same 🤣

[John Pitchers @Johnnygcake]

@mitomavirus @LucyGoBag Yes, but the purpose of the system is to issue warnings of specific threats to specific locations, not to issue prevention advice.