An exclusive report by the Manchester Evening News: Families in Greater Manchester who object to post mortem examinations on religious grounds will be able to opt for an electronic body scan instead.

Coroners in the region are backing an initiative spearheaded in Bolton which will offer greater choice to grieving relatives.

Some faith groups, particularly the Muslim and Jewish communities, are uncomfortable with invasive post mortem examinations because they conflict with religious beliefs about the sanctity of the body.

Bolton coroner Jennifer Leeming has been trialling a scheme where pathologists can use a hospital scanner to determine the cause of death instead of the conventional post mortem.

The magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans have been operated out-of-hours by radiographers at North Manchester General Hospital and Rochdale Infirmary with the results sent back to the coroner on a computer disc.

The 3D scans are similar to those used on pregnant women, and families who opt for the scans are asked to foot the bill.

Coroner Mrs Leeming, who has ordered 22 scans in Bolton this year alone, said the results were `more than 99 per cent’ accurate.

She told the M.E.N.: “A lot of people object to invasive post-mortem or find the idea very uncomfortable. This is an option that is available to them. It is all about giving people a choice.

Post-mortems are required when investigations fail to determine an obvious cause of death. Mrs Leeming said radiologists are consulted on whether MRI was likely to reveal a cause of death so as to avoid fruitless scans.

All scans are carried out at weekends and out-of-hours to avoid obstructing treatment of patients.

Mrs Leeming said: “Radiologists then report the results as a pathologist would. If it is found to be natural then we would release the body.

“The process is supported by all of my colleague coroners within Greater Manchester. Families in other areas of Greater Manchester are being offered the same choice.

“My duty is to discover that cause of death. No more, no less. If that is discovered with a scan then my duty is fulfilled. It has been really well received in the community.

“The scans rarely fail to come up with a cause of death. Only one or two have not come up with a cause and then there is no option but to have an invasive post-mortem.

“Greater Manchester has pioneered this and I would like to see it rolled out across the country. It offers a compassionate choice.”

Manchester coroner Nigel Meadows confirmed the scans were being offered across Manchester.

He said: “They are appropriate in certain cases but obviously forensic examination will never be replaced. The only practicalities were cost and the use of the scanner. Now private scanners have been obtained.”

Faiths groups welcomed the breakthrough. Solomon Adler, who liaises with the Jewish Burial Board, said: “There are a lot of people who object to intrusive post mortems on humanitarian grounds.

“A lot of people do not want their loved ones carved up. Bodies are stitched up very roughly. The Jewish community welcomes the initiative. We used to have 60-70 intrusive post mortems a year but in the last ten years we have had eight. The rest have been scans. We object to post mortems on religious grounds but it is not just about different faiths or religions.”