'Building of the future, nears completion

A 'state of the art, £4.2m mortuary and regional forensic centre at Hull Royal Infirmary is nearing completion after almost a year of construction

The two-storey site will provide highly specialised services, tailored to the needs of bereaved families.
It will also provide a top-class working environment for medical staff and clinicians.
Stephen Greep, chief executive of the Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust, said: "I'd like to thank members of the public for bearing with us during the construction of what will be an important building.
"The work is progressing well and we're looking forward to opening the new mortuary and forensic centre in the coming weeks."
The centre has been jointly funded by Hull City Council, the East Riding of Yorkshire Council, the Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust, the Home Office and Hull Citybuild.
It replaces the now demolished public mortuary in Spring Street and mortuary services previously housed in the main tower block at Hull Royal Infirmary.
Even before opening, the centre has been welcomed by the Home Office as a future model for other regions to follow.
Terry Johnson, the mortuary manager at Hull Royal Infirmary, was the principal designer of the new centre.
"The main benefit to the public will be an even more efficient and sensitive service," says Mr Johnson. "It has been designed with the feelings of relatives very much in mind, and 'homely areas, have been provided for the bereaved who visit the centre."
"In addition, there will be a strong educational element - undergraduate medical trainees will get to use the state-of-the-art training and classroom areas.
"And as a regional centre for forensic examinations, pathologists will carry out investigations for the whole of the Humberside Police district. The facilities will be among the most technologically advanced anywhere in the country."
The mortuary will have 108 refrigerated storage spaces, and three post-mortem rooms for medical examinations, teaching and forensic work.
Geoffrey Saul, the coroner for Hull and the East Riding of Yorkshire, said: "The facility will provide more storage space than has been available in the past. The centre will also provide the best possible working environment for Home Office pathologists."

An artist's impression of how the new mortuary will look