Human Tissue Authority statement on Directed Deceased Allocation

Vicki Chapman, Director of Policy and Strategy at the Human Tissue Authority (HTA), said:

Issue date: 29 March 2010

“The HTA welcomes this guidance from the Department of Health as it provides clarity on how organs are allocated after death. It strikes a balance between allowing, in very rare cases, organ donation to be allocated to a friend or relative, and protecting the key principle that priority is given to those in greatest need.

“Under the new guidance, to be implemented by NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT), an organ will only be allocated to a friend or relative in exceptional circumstances – where consent for the donation had previously been given unconditionally, and the recipient has a recognised clinical need. However, priority will always be given to those patients in urgent clinical need – who may die within a few days if they do not receive an organ.

“Department of Health, NHS Blood and Transplant and the HTA have worked together to consider the impact of making a change to the existing system. The change is expected to affect a very small number of organ donations, so is unlikely to have an adverse impact on the organ allocation system.”

ENDS

For more information about the HTA, please contact Fiona McKinson, Communications Officer at the HTA on 020 7211 3460 or fiona.mckinson@hta.gov.uk

Members of the public should contact the Customer Service Centre at the Department of Health for enquiries on 020 7210 4850

If you have a question relating to the policy please contact Department of Health news desk on 020 7210 5221

For more information about the allocation system contact the NHSBT press office on 0117 969 2444 or pressoffice@nhsbt.nhs.uk

Notes to editors

1. The HTA is a watchdog that supports public confidence by licensing organisations that store and use human tissue for purposes such as research, patient treatment, post-mortem examination, teaching, and public exhibitions. We also give approval for organ and bone marrow donations from living people.
2. 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.
3. For more information about the new guidance visit the Department of Health's website.