ULS de São José ordered to reinforce body identification after corpse exchange

The Health Regulatory Authority (ERS) has ordered the Unidade Local de Saúde (ULS) de São José in Lisbon to reinforce its corpse identification procedures following a serious error involving the exchange of two bodies.

The incident, which occurred in January, was only discovered by a family during a wake when they realized the body in the casket was not their deceased relative. The ERS described the event as a “grave failure in matters of security in the identification of users” and characterized it as “gross negligence” that violated principles of dignity and respect for the deceased.

Investigations revealed that the error went undetected by all internal control mechanisms, including hospital technicians and funeral agency representatives, despite existing formal double-verification protocols. Health technicians admitted to failing to follow mandatory identification procedures and failed to report the incident to their hierarchy, citing a focus on immediate situational resolution.