Coronavirus: Specialist teams to handle non-hospital deaths

Emergency services are being trained at London Fire Brigade headquarters in Southwark

London's emergency services are setting up specialist teams to handle Covid-19 deaths that do not happen in hospital.

Named the Pandemic Multiagency Response Teams (PMART), they will go to the care homes and hospices where people have died with coronavirus.

Each team will involve health services staff to confirm death, police officers to investigate the death and fire service staff who will do the driving.

It is hoped the measures will cut demand on London Ambulance Service.

The teams will confirm the deceased's identity and establish there are no suspicious circumstances.

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They will also prepare bodies to be collected by an undertaker to take them to a funeral home or mortuary.

Families of the deceased will be asked not to visit register offices to notify the death of their loved one in person.

Instead, PMART will take care of that process and register offices will contact families by phone.

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London Ambulance Service's chief medical officer Dr Fenella Wrigley warned the public that the coronavirus pandemic would kill many more people.

"Working with our partners across the capital has been, and will continue to be, an absolutely crucial part of responding to the coronavirus pandemic," she said.

"This is another example of incredible support and collaboration from our emergency services and NHS colleagues.

"By partnering in this initiative it will also enable London Ambulance Service to continue to support the many patients who will need our urgent, life-saving help in the coming weeks."