Kettering mortuary closure petition gains more than 3,500 supporters wanting to keep hospital facility open

It comes after the announcement that those who die at KGH will be transported to a central storage centre in Northampton to serve Northampton (NGH) and Kettering hospitals.

From autumn 2025, instead of the deceased being collected individually by funeral directors directly from the hospital, they will now face long journeys south using some of the county’s busiest routes.

The petition has called for Health Secretary Wes Streeting to intervene and MP for Kettering Rosie Wrighting has met with directors at Averil Phillips and Family funeral directors who will be affected.

MP for Kettering Rosie Wrighting said: “It was good to meet Tim from Averil Phillips and Family funeral directors in Kettering to talk about the KGH mortuary closure plan and consolidation of services at a new facility in Northampton.

"I really appreciated his time where I was able to hear his concerns about the consultation process and how the new process will work.

“I will be speaking to the hospital to understand whether there is a possibility of retaining some services there in cases where coroner services are not required.”

Plans to remove coronial post mortem cases to the new Riverside county mortuary had been announced in December.

The bodies of those who die in hospital would have been only transferred to the coroner if a post mortem was needed. Coronial cases form only a small percentage of deaths.

Viewing facilities for families had been removed at KGH during the Covid pandemic – and never reinstated.

Once the state-of-the-art £9.4m mortuary on the edge of Northampton at Riverside is built, loved ones will be able to be viewed.

This is only a small percentage of deaths. So for the majority of hospital deaths, the body of the deceased remains in the hospital mortuary.

The petition, started last week, reads: “A vital service in our community is being quietly taken away.

“The mortuary at Kettering General Hospital is closing – from the autumn, anyone who passes away at the hospital will be transported to a new facility in Northampton. That’s up to 45 minutes away from families in North Northamptonshire.

“There was no public consultation, no clear communication, and there are a lot of questions without answers.

“For grieving families, knowing their loved one is close brings huge comfort. Taking that away isn’t just a logistical issue, it’s an emotional one. And it doesn’t make sense environmentally.”

A joint statement from the University Hospitals of Northamptonshire (who run KGH and NGH) and West Northamptonshire Council said: “The University Hospitals of Northamptonshire is working with West Northamptonshire Council to deliver better mortuary facilities for bereaved families in Northamptonshire.

“West Northamptonshire Council is opening a state-of-the-art £9.4m County Mortuary at Riverside Business Park near Northampton.

"Construction work on this project is already underway and when it opens all coronial work and community deaths will be moved into that facility.

“The county mortuary will have excellent private viewing and identification facilities, provide enhanced facilities and an appropriate, respectful, and compassionate experience for bereaved families.”

“We understand families want to have access to say goodbye to a loved one as part of the grieving process sometimes as soon after death as possible.

“Often hospital staff at both KGH and NGH support this in a ward area and we will continue to do this at both of our hospitals.

“But once the deceased family member has moved to a hospital mortuary – because of the lack of viewing facilities – it has meant families have had to wait until the deceased has been released to their funeral directors.

“We understand some residents may have concerns about the distance to Riverside in Northampton.

“While this is on established bus routes and easily accessible by car, we will be considering how to support families who feel unable to visit the new facility and do not feel they can wait until a loved one is in the care of their funeral director.”

Concerned residents wanting to retain the local KGH mortuary have been signing and commenting on the cross-county move.

One said: “The size of KGH needs a mortuary, not one 20 miles away which will be so upsetting for loved ones.”

Another said: “Although I live in Cornwall, my family live in Kettering. My dad passed away last week, some members of my family would not have been able to travel to to Northampton.”

A grieving son added: “Having lost my dad in February, having to travel almost 30 minutes to see him when you are grieving would have been so hard.”

A spokesman for Averil Phillips said: “We want to thank Rosie for taking the time to listen, engage with the issue, and commit to speaking with the hospital about whether some services can still be retained locally, especially in cases where coroner services aren’t required.

“This issue affects families across North Northamptonshire and beyond, and we believe it’s time for unified action from all local MPs and councillors representing the communities impacted by this change.

“Grieving families deserve dignity, proximity, and clarity, and our community deserves a voice in decisions that impact how we say goodbye to our loved ones.”

The 38 Degrees online petition regarding the KGH mortuary closure can be found here.