Human Tissue Authority statement on new plans for increasing living kidney transplantation

For immediate release

Issue date: 24 January 2012

The Human Tissue Authority (HTA) welcomes NHS Blood and Transplant’s (NHSBT’s) first UK strategy for Living Kidney Transplantation, launched yesterday at the annual Renal Transplant Services meeting. This strategy aims to transform more lives through providing more patient choice and opportunities for living kidney donation and transplantation.

Since being established in 2006, the HTA has had a key role in facilitating living organ donation, so that more people can benefit from a living-donor transplant. One in three of all organ transplants in the UK are now from a living donor.
 
Alan Clamp, Chief Executive at the HTA, said: "This strategy is great news for those in need of a kidney transplant. As a regulator with responsibility for giving approval for organ donations from living people, and being the Competent Authority designate for the European Union Organ Donation Directive, we will continue to work in collaboration with organisations such as NHSBT to make sure that people are aware of the increasing possibilities in living donation."
 
ENDS
                                 
For more information, please contact Fiona McKinson, Communications Officer at the HTA, on 020 7269 1959 or fiona.mckinson@hta.gov.uk or Sarah-Jane Wakefield, Head of Communications at the HTA, on 020 7269 1958 or sarah-jane.wakefield@hta.gov.uk. For out of hours media enquiries call 020 7269 1914.                                                 

Notes to editors

• With the interests of the public and those it regulates at the centre its work, the HTA aims to maintain and build confidence by ensuring that human tissue is used safely and ethically, and with proper consent. The HTA regulates organisations that remove, store and use tissue for research, medical treatment, post-mortem examination, teaching and display in public. The HTA also gives approval for organ and bone marrow donations from living people.
• The HTA works under two laws: the Human Tissue Act 2004 (HT Act) and the Human Tissue (Quality and Safety for Human Application) Regulations 2007 (Q&S Regulations). The HT Act applies to England, Wales and Northern Ireland but our regulation under the Q&S regulations also cover Scotland.
• In March 2011 the Human Tissue Authority was named as the Competent Authority for England and Wales for the EU Organ Donation Directive (EUODD) and we will take the lead on developing a regulatory framework for implementation into legislation by August 2012. The Scottish and Northern Irish Assemblies also asked us to be their Competent Authority for the EUODD and we have accepted.
• The HTA leaflet ‘Information about living donor-transplants' gives more information about the role of the HTA in approving organ donations from living people. The leaflet is available from the our website at: www.hta.gov.uk/about_hta/publications/leaflets.cfm