Recommendation P2-31: Ambulance policy on crew position with deceased
From Fuller Inquiry Phase 2 Report, published 15 July 2025.
Recommendation
Every NHS ambulance service should have a policy setting out where ambulance crew members should sit when conveying deceased patients. This should include reference to the risk of abuse of deceased patients, as well as training requirements.
In brief (written by this site)
In June 2026, NHS England stated that ambulance trusts are individually responsible for introducing operational policies as recommended and monitoring their use, adding that boards should assess compliance and that a further update was expected in summer 2026 (NHS England, Jun 2026). Also in June 2026, the Department of Health and Social Care reported that the Association of Ambulance Chief Executives was discussing with ambulance service leads to ensure all services review their policies on managing the deceased and introduce a clear policy if none currently exists (Department of Health and Social Care, Jun 2026).
AI-generated summary of the record on this page, checked by a second model and automatic checks, 26 Sep 2026. The record below is the sources' own words.
About this summary
This recommendation applies across many organisations. The record reflects central policy activity; adoption in individual organisations may vary.
Government response
The Association of Ambulance Chief Executives (AACE) has written to DHSC setting out the work they are doing to implement recommendations 31 to 33. This includes discussing with ambulance service leads to ensure all ambulance services review their policies around managing the deceased and introduce a clear policy if there is none currently.
AACE suggests that policies include specific wording around care of the deceased and contain detail and guidance around security and dignity in private or public locations.
How this response relates to the recommendation
Site note: This is the Department of Health and Social Care's interim update on government progress in responding to the phase 2 report, published on 16 December 2025. It sorts the 75 recommendations into those the government has accepted in full (11), accepted in principle (43) and is still considering (21), and gives words of its own only on the 11 accepted in full. Every word is the Department's, so the rows are filed under it, including where the passage reports what another body has done.
Site note: The recommendation is addressed to NHS England; the passage is the Department's account, not that body's. The update answers recommendations 31 to 33 together, in this one passage.
Delivery
NHS England says in progress (26 June 2026)
Recommendations 30 to 33 (relevant to ambulance policies and data)
The full text of these recommendations can be found in the Phase 2 Report (p.269).
Supporting guidance
The government’s interim update sets out what action should be taken. A further update is expected in summer 2026.
In addition to the government’s interim update, ambulance trusts are individually responsible for introducing operational policies as described in the recommendation, and for ongoing monitoring of their use. Boards should assess compliance against these recommendations.
Site note: NHS England's national system letter to NHS trusts and integrated care boards of 26 June 2026 (PRN02500). Its Annex 2 maps the NHS-relevant Fuller recommendations to named supporting guidance by number. The letter instructs trusts and records what NHS England has changed; it does not report that any recommendation is delivered. Neither the Board Assurance Statement returns it asks trusts for by 31 July 2026 nor the Premises Assurance Model submissions that closed on 8 September 2026 are published. Where the row carries an Annex 2 entry, it is the whole entry: the recommendations it covers, where their text is, and the guidance NHS England maps them to. An entry that only names guidance states no delivery position, and the site marks it noted.
Site note: The source names this recommendation by number. The source gives this passage once, for several recommendations. The same words are recorded on recommendations 30 to 33.
Department of Health and Social Care says in progress (16 June 2026)
The Association of Ambulance Chief Executives (AACE) has written to the Department of Health and Social Care setting out the work they are doing to implement recommendations 31-33. This includes discussing with ambulance service leads to ensure all ambulance services review their policies around managing the deceased and introduce a clear policy if there is none. The AACE suggest that policies include specific wording around the care of the deceased and contain detail and guidance around security and dignity in private and public locations.
From: Fuller Inquiry Recommendations Dashboard
Site note: The source names this recommendation by number.
Responsible bodies
Themes and tags
Who has spoken
- Department of Health and Social Care
Response, delivery statement - NHS England
Delivery statement