Inverclyde Royal Hospital’s mortuary will be temporarily out of use for a short time to allow improvement works to be carried out.
An initial phase of planned work will get underway next week to upgrade the fabric of the building.
Temporary arrangements are being put in place to allow the work to go ahead.
Deceased patients will be taken by private ambulance from the IRH to the mortuary at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow.
It is important to stress this will be for a short period of time, affecting a small number of people, and families will be kept informed of the arrangements throughout.
Support will also be provided to relatives who require to travel to the QEUH during this period.
No other area of the IRH will be affected.
The work includes plans for new ceilings and staff offices in the mortuary.
These upgrades will help to improve the environment for bereaved families attending the mortuary as well as the staff who work in the service.
Melanie McColgan, Director of NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde’s Clyde Sector, which includes the IRH, said: “We are pleased to be making improvements to Inverclyde Royal Hospital’s mortuary, which will benefit bereaved families and our staff.
“These works cannot be carried out while the mortuary area is in use and as such, temporary arrangements have been made to allow this to go ahead.
“This will be handled sensitively with the use of a private ambulance, and we will keep families fully informed to reduce any concerns they may have at what we know will be a difficult time.
“We will also support those who require additional help with transport to the QEUH during the short period these temporary arrangements are in place.”