With the interests of the public and those we regulate at the centre of our work, we aim to maintain confidence by ensuring that human tissue is used safely and ethically, and with proper consent. We regulate organisations that remove, store and use tissue for research, medical treatment, post-mortem examination, teaching and display in public. We also give approval for organ and bone marrow donations from living people.

This position statement is intended to notify transplant units, donors and recipients of the HTA’s current position.

If a donor requests, in advance, to re-direct their organ to a secondary recipient; the HTA would need to be satisfied that there is no duress, coercion and reward involved in the re-direction. For example, a father donating to his child at the same time that his wife also requires a transplant. In the unlikely event that the organ cannot be transplanted into the child, he may wish for the organ to go to his wife instead.