First Call and Transfer Procedure

Purpose. This procedure sets out how the transfer team receives a first call, attends the place of death, identifies and transfers the deceased into Everlasting's care and hands over to the mortuary.

1.Receiving the first call

The on-call arranger will answer every first call within four rings and will record the caller's name and relationship, the deceased's full name and date of birth, the place of death, whether a doctor has certified the death or the police or coroner are involved, and any known infection risk, size or access issue. The arranger will create the case in the funeral case register and will dispatch the transfer crew within fifteen minutes of the call.

2.Before leaving the depot

The transfer crew of two will complete the vehicle pre-start check, confirm the stretcher, body bag, PPE kit, identification tags and transfer form are on board, and confirm the destination and any access notes with the arranger. Single-person transfers are not permitted.

3.On arrival

The crew will introduce themselves, confirm the identity of the person authorising the transfer and, at a hospital, aged care home or the coroner, will present the Everlasting authority and check the deceased's identification against the institution's documentation and wrist band. At a private residence the crew will confirm that a doctor has certified death or that police have released the deceased. The crew will never remove a deceased person before the certification or release is confirmed.

4.Identification and tagging

Both crew members will check the full name, date of birth and date of death against the paperwork, will complete the deceased transfer and identification form, and will attach the Everlasting wrist tag with the case reference. Personal effects will be itemised on the form and witnessed by the family member or institution staff where present.

• Check name, date of birth and date of death
• Attach the Everlasting wrist tag
• Itemise jewellery, clothing and effects
• Obtain the releasing signature
• Record any implanted device information provided

5.Handling and manual handling

The crew will use the stretcher, slide sheet and body bag as trained and will plan every lift for the environment, particularly stairs, narrow hallways and bariatric cases. Where the deceased exceeds the two-person safe lift limit, the crew will request a third person or the bariatric equipment before proceeding. The deceased will be covered at all times in public view.

6.Transport and handover

The deceased will be transported directly to the Bayswater mortuary unless the arranger directs otherwise. On arrival the mortuary assistant and one crew member will perform the two-person identification check, record the arrival in the mortuary care register, place the deceased in refrigeration and file the transfer form. The vehicle and stretcher will then be cleaned and the transfer closed in the case register.

7.Special situations

Coronial cases will be transferred only on the coroner's release and to the address the coroner specifies. Infectious cases will be transferred in a sealed body bag with the additional precautions in the infection control policy. If the family wishes to spend time with the deceased before transfer, the crew will allow it wherever practical and will record the delay.