FAQs on the disposal of anatomical specimens, former anatomical specimens and body parts

Frequently asked questions on the disposal of anatomical specimens, former anatomical specimens and body parts.

What does the Human Tissue Authority (HTA) mean by the terms anatomical examination and education or training relating to human health?

These are separate scheduled purposes under The Human Tissue Act 2004 (HT Act).

Anatomical examination is defined in The HT Act as, "macroscopic examination by dissection for anatomical purposes", where anatomical purposes are defined as, "purposes of teaching or studying, or researching into, the gross structure of the human body".

Education or training relating to human health describes the education or training of healthcare professionals, such as those learning surgical techniques.

What does The HTA mean by the terms anatomical specimen and former anatomical specimen?

The HT Act defines an anatomical specimen as:

a) the body of a deceased person to be used for the purpose of anatomical examination, or

b) the body of a deceased person in the course of being used for the purpose of anatomical examination (including separated parts of such a body)

"Former anatomical specimens" are not defined in the HT Act. The HTA defines a former anatomical specimen as, "An organ or body part donated for anatomical examination which is retained once the examination of the rest of the body has been completed".

I'm a clinical anatomist. In relation to the retention and disposal of former anatomical specimens, I was under the impression that the HTA endorses the concept of "one third of a body". Am I correct?

No. Although the term might be used by some staff working at anatomy establishments, the concept of "one third of a body" has no legal status under The HT Act and is not used by the HTA. Independent of The HTA, professional guidelines have been drawn up by the Professional Guidelines and Practices (Anatomy) Committee and are available on the websites of three professional bodies which comprise the committee, namely: the Anatomical Society of Great Britain and Ireland (ASGBI), the British Association of Clinical Anatomists (BACA) and the Institute of Anatomical Sciences (IAS) [http://www.anatsoc.org.uk/; http://www.anatomical-sciences.org.uk/ and http://www.liv.ac.uk/HumanAnatomy/phd/baca/].

The HTA's codes of practice and other guidance should, however, be used as the definitive source of information for issues within our remit. If you are in any doubt, please contact the HTA or seek your own legal advice.

Do anatomical specimens, former anatomical specimens and body parts have to be incinerated or can they be cremated?

Many people regard cremation as a more dignified or respectful method of incineration. In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, two different sets of regulations govern the process of cremation: the Cremation (England and Wales) Regulations 2008 and the Cremation (Belfast) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1961. Both sets of cremation regulations are outside of the remit of the HTA but fall within that of the Ministry of Justice (MoJ).

The Cremation Regulations 2008 introduced amended forms to support the cremation process. This change affects anatomy establishments. The old Form A has been replaced by the form Cremation 1 which is available from the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) website.

For body donations that pre-date the new form, the MoJ has suggested that the Cremation 1 form is completed by the Designated Individual (DI) and submitted alongside Form A which will have been completed by the donor's family. The ultimate decision to accept such an arrangement rests with the medical referee at the crematorium; however, the MoJ does not foresee any problem with this approach.

For more information about the Cremation Regulations 2008, contact Brian Patterson at the MoJ on 020 3334 6404.

Does The HTA prohibit the incineration of specific body parts, such as heads?

The HT Act does not reference a method of disposal according to the type or size of the specimen or relevant material.

It is good practice for staff at HTA licensed establishments to agree the acceptance criteria for relevant material with their local incineration facility as part of any disposal agreements. It may be that staff at HTA licensed establishments are required to reduce the size of relevant material prior to it being sent for disposal by incineration.

As the Designated Individual (DI) at a suitably licensed establishment, I wish to import specific body parts for a programme of surgical training. The supplier, which is based outside of the UK, seems to be reputable and I am happy that the terms of the any arrangement would be consistent with The HTA's code of practice on the import and export of human bodies, body parts and tissue. My only concern is that the donors of the body parts have stipulated cremation as the only method of disposal and I would prefer to use our contracted incineration facility. Is this alright?

We expect DIs to scrutinise any agreements with suppliers of imported material to ensure that they are acting lawfully and in accordance with any consent given by the donor. If an agreement stipulates cremation as the only method of disposal, and only incineration will be possible, we advise that the DI should first clarify with the supplier whether the meaning of the word cremation in the agreement is consistent with the definition of cremation in the UK. If so, the DI should not accept the specimens or body part as the wishes of the deceased could not be met.