Download or read book The Removal, Retention and Use of Human Organs and Tissue from Post-Mortem Examination written by and published by Stationery Office Books (TSO). This book was released on 2001-01-01 with total page 48 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Following the public concern about the taking and retention of organs from post mortems on children, this Report by the Chief Medical Officer aims to provide definitive advice on the removal, retention and use of human organs and tissue from post-mortem examination. The advice is intended to be comprehensive and coherent, to address the important concerns raised by recent events, to draw in the views and experiences of the families and their representatives and to take on board the lessons of the major enquiries into the events at the Bristol Royal Infirmary and Alder Hey Hospital and other relevant documentation. Whilst the public attention has been on events concerning children, the report and recommendations address post-mortem practice in all age groups. The report analyses the issues underlying the controversy. It finds that practice, whilst conforming to the letter of the law, has fallen well short of a sensitive and modern system of seeking and obtaining consent to hospital post-mortem or to the longer term retention of tissue and organs for medical education, teaching or research. The overwhelming conclusion of the majority of commentators is that the system and the law in this area must be changed so that the proper involvement of families can enable their support to be gained in the pursuit of the conquest of disease and excellence in standards in healthcare. The recommendations in the report are underpinned by a set of guiding principles which are set out. These include: respect, understanding, informed consent, time and space, skill and sensitivity, information, cultural competence and a gift relationship. The gift relationships refers to shifting the emphasis from 'taking' and 'retaining', as expressed in the present legislation, to 'donation' so that tissues or organs are given as a gift to help others and recognised as deserving of gratitude to those making donations. The Reports makes a number of recommendations which have drawn heavily on those in the Bristol Interim Inquiry report and the conclusions and insights of the Alder Hey Inquiry Report. Changes in legislation are recommended. These include an immediate amendment to the Human Tissue Act 1961 to clarify issues of consent and, as soon as possible, a more fundamental and broader revision of the law. An independent system of regulatory control is also recommended. Other recommendations include: the provision of a standardised consent form throughout the NHS for consent to post-mortem and separately, to the retention of tissues and organs following post-mortem; the establishment of an independent Commission to oversee the proper return of retained organs and tissue to families who request it; support and advice for families at the time of bereavement; education for parents and health professionals. The ultimate disposal of retained tissues, organs, body parts, stillbirths and foetuses should be in accordance with any expressed wishes of the individual or his or her family. Research using these tissues can be very valuable. It should be promoted where families have given informed consent to tissues or organs from their deceased relative being used in this way. There should be feedback to families on the research use of donations where requested. For tissues or organs donated for teaching, families should be invited to prepare a 'life book' on the child (or adult) who has died which would be shown to students in conjunction with the use of the tissue or organ for teaching.