Commentary on Sections Pregnancy loss on or before 24 weeks Section 80 – Change in arrangements
211.Subsection (1) sets out that section 80 applies where an appropriate health authority has given a woman the opportunity to make a decision under section 79(2), the remains have not been buried or cremated and the relevant period has not expired. The “relevant period” for the purposes of this section is defined by subsection (5) as meaning the period of 5 weeks after the expiry of the 7 day initial period set out in section 79(9).
212.As with the process set out in section 79, subsection (3) provides that, where the woman authorises the appropriate health authority to make the arrangements for the burial or cremation of the remains of the fetus, the authority must inform the woman if it would not be reasonably practicable for it to arrange for the remains to be disposed of in a particular way. Similarly, under subsection (4), the health authority must record the decision and take reasonable steps to secure the woman’s signature. Subsection (5) provides that “appropriate health authority” has the same definition as in section 79(9).