HOSPITAL officials have apologised after a mother was told she will have to wait weeks to find out what happened to her dead baby's organs.

Zoe Matthews' son, Owen Robson, was stillborn at Darlington Memorial Hospital seven years ago.

After news of the Alder Hey body parts scandal broke, Mrs Matthews contacted a special helpline set up by the hospital trust for concerned relatives.

She was told that she may have to wait for up to a month to find out what happened to her dead baby.

Mrs Matthews, 26, who has since married and has two daughters Lucy, 5, and Katelyne, 3, said: "I think, to have to wait a month for something like this is terrible. When I rang up a lady took all my details down. I had to go through how Owen died.

"When I asked when I would find out she said they would write to me within a month.

"It is absolutely heartbreaking for me and my husband Mark because we are just having to wait and we don't know what is happening."

South Durham Healthcare NHS Trust says it has fielded more than 100 calls from the public inquiring about loved ones since its helpline was set up at the end of last month.

Trust spokeswoman Julie Oliver said: "It takes time to look into these cases and the reason we are saying it could take up to a month is that we want to get the right information so people can go away feeling reassured.

"We realise this subject is very distressing so the people taking the calls have been spending quite a bit of time talking to those involved.

"If this lady wants to talk to someone again I am sure she can be given a progress report on what is going on."

In some cases organs are taken and retained by hospitals for study and research.

Hospital trusts around the region have already admitted that they hold thousands of body parts, although most have been removed with relatives' agreements.

An independent commission is due to be set up from April to oversee the return of organs to relatives for burial