Is one incision made and all the organs removed from one large incision?
For a standard PM, yes. We make an incision from just below the ear, round and down to the Sternal Notch (the little V at the top of the sternum, between the Collarbones) and then straight down to the top of the pubic bone.
OP, do you know if what my Dad says is indeed possible?
And if so, have you ever released a patient's body to be collected by their own family or friends?
Yes, it's absolutely possible and I have done it a few times. There are rules you have to follow to enable you to do this. You will need a suitable vehicle with no or blacked out windows and the police will need to be informed that you have a deceased person with you, in case you have a crash. There are also rules about crossing county borders. Contact your local funeral director and they will be able to help as some rules are area specific.
Can you tell me why you remove the organs? What is the reason? What if the person specifically didn't want this to happen? Would it be respected?
We remove the organs so they can be thoroughly inspected. This is so that the pathologist can determine the overall health of the organ and specify the correct cause of death.
Unfortunately, a post mortem is a legal process so it cannot be refused. But we would never do a PM on someone without very good reason.
To be clear, are organs only weighed in the case of a PM? Or is it routinely done ? Is a PM always required?
They are only weighed in the case of a necessary PM. A PM will only be required where there is no clear cause of death, where a patient had a fall in the previous 24 hours, and in cases where the patient had surgery within the last year. We try and avoid them if at all possible.
You aren't unusual at all in your thinking either. What we do isn't normal and I can fully understand why nobody would like it done to them or a loved one.
Can I also ask whether someone can ask for a PM? My sister died in hospital and it was horrific, but no PM was çonducted. It's obviously years too late now, but could we have asked for one?
You can indeed ask for a hospital PM to be done. It would come at a cost to the family and you would have been talked through the process very thoroughly with a member of our mortuary team and discussed the decision with the consultant responsible. If you were still willing to go ahead with it after discussion we would have facilitated this for you.
I am sorry you lost your sister under horrific circumstances. It can be hard enough when a loved one dies naturally. 
As for where I found the job, they come up on NHS jobs and council websites where a borough or county has a private mortuary facility.
Do you think this is because you see death as random (people dying young when they've done all the "right" things etc), so you might as well do what you want? Or because you want to completely forget about work when you're not there? Or something else entirely?
All of the above and more! It really affects me when someone around my own age comes to us. Ultimately life can be taken away from you completely unexpectedly, so I try not to dwell on the little things and (within reason) do the things I want to do, go and visit places I long to see, write the book, get the tattoo, take the kids to Disney world and just live life to the fullest extent I can.
*Would you know what actually happens when someone donates their body to medical science?
My DM has recently told us she wants to do this and it has really upset me. I just wondered if you knew what is involved in this, really.*
It all depends on where the body is donated to. I know that in anatomy school it is used for doctors to utilise the skills they are learning. Other places use parts of the body for research, like particular organs.
It is understandable that your Mum's decision is upsetting to you. My advice would be to find out her exact wishes (Anatomy school, research, or otherwise) and speak to the organisation directly. It may help ease your mind a little.
I just want to thank you all for your questions and for your compliments, too. I hope I have answered them as thoroughly as you expected.