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The death of a child causes parents\\u2019 unimaginable grief, but this is being exacerbated by long delays to post mortem reports due to a shortage of pathologists in the UK.\\nThe number of paediatric pathologists means that children and babies are having to be moved around to other parts of the country in order for post mortems to be undertaken, causing even further distress for families.\\nWhen a child dies suddenly, sometimes post-mortems may need the input of specialist pathologists. But these even fewer in number meaning bereaved parents are waiting months, sometimes years to discover why their child died.\\nBut these shortages can have even more devastating consequences.\\nFile on 4 has uncovered cases where parents suspected of harming their child have waited months for post-mortem reports to be completed, only to be exonerated of any wrongdoing once the findings are back. During which they\\u2019ve had other children taken into care and faced months under wrongful suspicion.\\nThe head of the family courts in England and Wales says long waits for post-mortem reports in suspected child homicides cases is \\u201cunacceptable\\u201d. But it\\u2019s not just the courts raising concerns. Senior police chiefs say a shortage of specialists is also causing delays to police investigations and the criminal process.\\nAdrian Goldberg investigates the crisis which has been years in the making, with The Royal College of Pathologists warning that the situation is \\u201ccritical\\u201d.

Reporter: Adrian Goldberg\\nProducer: Emma Forde\\nTechnical Producer: Mitch Goodall \\nEditor: Carl Johnston\\nProduction Coordinator: Tim Fernley\\nProduction Manager: Sarah Payton