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P2-23

Independent sector accompanied access to deceased

Fuller Inquiry · Fuller Inquiry Phase 2 Report · Issued 15 July 2025 · Addressed to: Department of Health and Social Care

Government responseDepartment of Health and Social Care: Accepted (Dec 2025)

DeliveryDepartment of Health and Social Care says in progress (Jun 2026)

Recommendation, verbatim from the inquiry

●Inquiry recommendation

Independent sector healthcare providers should ensure that only people who have a legitimate reason to access a room that contains a deceased patient do so, even if they are staff members, and that they are always accompanied.

Fuller Inquiry, Fuller Inquiry Phase 2 Report · 15 Jul 2025 Source PDF →

Published evidence summary

AI-generated evidence summary

In June 2026, the Department of Health and Social Care reported that work on the recommendation was in progress, noting that independent healthcare providers had confirmed taking action while the Independent Healthcare Provider Network was still "considering the vehicle to ensure assurance against the actions" (Department of Health and Social Care, Jun 2026). In December 2025, the department had accepted the recommendation in full and confirmed that it had engaged independent inpatient mental health providers alongside the network to ensure awareness and appropriate measures (Department of Health and Social Care response, Dec 2025).

AI-generated summary of the record on this page, checked by a second model and automatic checks, 26 Sep 2026.

About this summary
This recommendation applies across many organisations. The record above reflects central policy activity; adoption in individual organisations may vary.

Government response

●Department of Health and Social Care · Accepted · 16 Dec 2025

Words of: Department of Health and Social Care, Interim update on government progress in responding to the Fuller inquiry phase 2 report, 16 December 2025

DHSC officials have met twice with the Independent Healthcare Provider Network (IHPN), which engaged with its members in September 2025. Members have confirmed they have taken action on the report. IHPN is now considering how to ensure assurance against the actions. DHSC has engaged independent inpatient mental health providers to ensure they are also aware of the inquiry's recommendations and take any appropriate measures.

Extract from: Interim update on government progress in responding to the Fuller inquiry phase 2 report

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 the Department itself. The update answers recommendations 22 and 23 together, in this one passage.

Delivery

●Department of Health and Social Care says in progress · 16 Jun 2026

The Department of Health and Social Care has met with the Independent Healthcare Provider Network (IHPN), who engaged with its members in September 2025. IHPN members have confirmed they have taken action on the report, and are considering the vehicle to ensure assurance against the actions. DHSC has engaged independent inpatient mental health providers to ensure they are also aware of the Inquiry's recommendations and take and take any appropriate measures.

From: Fuller Inquiry Recommendations Dashboard

Site note: The source names this recommendation by number.

How this page is built

The recommendation and the government responses are verbatim from primary documents. Delivery statements and other bodies' findings are shown in their own words, each with its source. The summary is written by this site and labelled as such. The Index does not paraphrase sources or characterise intent; it records what has been published.