About 150,000 transplant procedures are carried out all over the world each year. There is no way of knowing how many transplant operations are actually needed. So often a donor will never know what their generosity will have achieved for an anonymous, shadowy stranger. Maybe that is why the commitment to donation is not as strong as it could be. Perhaps if a blood donor was to meet the person that gained from the donation people would be more motivated to give blood. I know this line of reasoning falls down when we consider deceased donation for the simple reason that the gift of life has been given posthumously.

Could more people be encouraged to become registered donors if they knew more about the outcome of tissue and organ donation? Alternatively if people knew that their own lives could be continued because of a transplant then perhaps people would become more involved through a sense of self interest?

Or is the gift notion the best way to proceed? This relies on the altruistic outlook of people – the idea of a gift to fellow citizens. But this too is a complex idea because it relies on empathy and the ability to identify with the needs of our fellow citizens.

Donation is not necessarily viewed as a ‘gift’. Instead it can be seen as a ‘sacrifice’ that people would prefer to avoid or ignore – that is until it affects them directly. Maybe we need more public education to consider these competing ideas.

If public appeals for donors are based on the idea of altruistic gifts they will not necessarily be too successful if most of us view donation as a ‘sacrifice’ or a pain which we do not want to address. The human ability to assess our own sense of mortality is very difficult until death is imminent. Why should we consider becoming a solid organ donor if this challenges the sanctity of our own lives? Frankly I find it remarkable that over 16 million people have voluntarily signed up to be deceased donors.

"Lies, damned lies and statistics."

I don't want to get into a dispute about statistical facts. As soon as someone collects national data it is out-of-date and incomplete. So no doubt people will contest the facts and figures which appear in this section of the website. They are not CURRENT. At best they refer to the financial year April 2007 through to March 2008. Some data authorities use the financial year whilst some statisticians deliberately confuse us by using January to January data.

You can also conduct your own argument about whether Mark Twain or Benjamin Disraeli was the first to use the phrase 'Lies, damn lies and statistics'.

So here are some facts and figures to chew over - all of which can be challenged on grounds of accuracy, but they do illustrate the approximate position in the UK.

• About 61.4 million people live in the UK - as of August 2009.
• Approximately 503,000 people a year die in England and Wales; about 285,000 of these people die in NHS hospitals – these figures fluctuate annually – these facts are based on 2007. Fewer than 1% of people die in circumstances in which they could become tissue or organ donors.
• 16.4 million volunteers on the Organ Donor Register – as of July 2009.
• 3,235 solid organ transplants and 2,400 cornea transplants took place in addition to many tissue donations between April 2007 and March 2008. Solid organ transplants include hearts, lungs, liver, kidney, small bowel and intestines. In this 12 month period over 8,000 people were on the active transplant list and around 2,000 patients were suspended from the list.
• These transplants were made possible by 809 deceased donors (609 heart beating/ventilated donors; 200 non heart beating donors) and 854 living donors who mostly shared a kidney with a relative, a liver lobe and in one case a lung lobe. These are categorised as solid organ donations. Corneas are part of the eye. An eye is an organ to my way of thinking, but in transplant terms it is classified as a tissue.
• The system for donating organs as a living donor is a completely separate process to signing the Organ Donor Register. The Organ Donor Register (ODR) is a database of people who wish to be a donor at the point at which you die. Joining the ODR does not mean that a doctor can approach you to be a living kidney donor! In 2007-08 854 people came forward to offer living organs usually to close relatives - though in a few cases living organ donors helped complete strangers.
• Blood is classified officially as tissue – even though a non-medical person would regard it as a fluid. Each year about 2.1 million units of blood are collected for use in the NHS from just 1.6 million regular blood donors. Each registered blood donor can give blood three times a year provided they are healthy and meet the blood security guidelines laid down by NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT). Up to about 8,000 units of blood are required on a daily basis. This is provided by fewer than 4% of the eligible population over the age of 17 years. We each have about 5 to 5.5 litres of blood in our bodies as adults. In old language that is between 8 to 10 pints. About 470 millilitres of blood is taken in one donation – just under half a litre – less than a pint!
• Thousands of people benefit from tissue and bone grafts every year. Skin is possibly the best form of dressing to help burn wounds heal. Tendons can be transplanted. Bone from deceased people can help to rebuild broken limbs, assist in hip replacement procedures help to repair spinal injuries and so on. ‘Surplus’ bone from hip replacement patients can also be transplanted.
• Pregnant mums can also donate amniotic fluid and cord blood after the birth, but only at specific hospitals with the appropriate staffing resources. Vital stem cells can be taken from cord blood to combat a number of medical conditions mostly related to blood diseases.
• Bone marrow and stem cells can be donated to provide a lifeline for people with a range of life threatening conditions such as aplastic anaemia, thalassaemia major and leukaemia.
• Transplanted pancreatic islet cells can help people suffering from type-one diabetes.
• Whole body donation helps medical research and training.
• Brain donation is also invaluable in the research to fight against dementia, neurodegenerative diseases, multiple sclerosis and Parkinson’s disease.

No doubt there are other parts of the human body that can be donated. I will add these as they occur. Elsewhere in the world hands, arms, trachea and male reproductive organs have been transplanted. Face transplants have also been attempted – but not in the UK as yet.

So there are plenty of ways people can be donors to save lives or improve the quality of lives. What is stopping you? Information is given below to help you find out more about each of these donor opportunities.

What would motivate you to be a donor?

I have had the amazing life saving privilege of receiving a heart and kidney transplant. I also needed over 50 units of blood plus platelets. I have a vested interest in encouraging people to think about being donors – just in case my organs decide to pack up again. Should we encourage people to think about self-interest when it comes to tissue and organ donation? What if YOU needed a blood transfusion? What would you want for your family? Or should we rely on people’s sense of charitable ‘giving? Is altruism the best way forward? Could we consider some form of compensation or acknowledgement for donors? Perhaps we could ‘thank’ donors or their families for the generosity they have shown to society. Do kind benefactors deserve reward? Maybe we should simply rely on the notion of civic responsibility. What greater act of citizenship is there than to donate tissue or organs?

Whatever it might take to get you donating we shouldn’t forget that we are all dependent on each other. We are all entitled to transfusions or transplants under the NHS, so maybe we should exercise collective responsibility to be donors so that life saving medical procedures can actually take place. I have been invited to speak at the Blood Service award ceremonies for blood donors that have given over 75 units of blood in their life time. Some donors have given over 120 units which is literally a lifelong commitment. This enormous contribution to society is a humbling experience to witness, but how can we develop this attitude amongst younger generations? The efficiency of the NHS to deliver a world class health service depends on people giving their support through blood, tissue and organ donation. Lives depend on it.

Blood donation

The NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) is a special acute trust which organises the retrieval and distribution of blood, blood products, tissue and solid organs. Recent re-organisation has led to a merger of various activities. NHSBT is organised in three sections:

• Blood Donation
• Tissue & Organ Donation
• The Bio Products Laboratory

You can find out more about NHSBT by going to its website – click on the following link: [The NHSBT web link]

The following telephone number now enables you to register for tissue & organ donation, bone marrow and blood donation. The 0300 123 23 23 replaces the old numbers. When you ring this number you will be transferred to the appropriate donor activity of your choice.

You can choose which type of donation you go for.

It would be great if you signed up for all of them!

You can also become a blood donor by registering at the following Blood Service website: [The National Blood Service web link] This website gives you guidance on who can become a blood donor and who cannot. There is an electronic form that you can fill out online to see if you would be a suitable candidate for blood donation. The website will also tell you when the next blood collection service takes place in your area. The website also gives you the chance to update yopur personal details such any changes in your contact details.You can give whole blood donations three times a year. The Blood Service sends you reminders about appointments.

Adults have around 5 to 5.5 litres of blood - about 8 to 10 pints. One blood donation takes less than one pint (470 millilitres). Blood is made in the bone marrow. It is composed of red blood cells, platelets, plasma and white blood cells, collectively referred to as blood components. Donations given at our regular blood donation sessions are referred to as "Whole Blood". Platelets are very small cells. They work with the clotting factors in plasma to form a mesh "plug" to stop or prevent bleeding. Plasma is the fluid part of the blood. It contains protein, salts and clotting factors. White cells fight harmful bacteria and help prevent infection. White cells are an important part of the body's immune system. Red cells carry oxygen from the lungs to the tissues.

When you have become an active ‘whole’ blood donor you may wish to become a platelet donor. Platelets are tiny cells in the blood that help the blood to clot. If you get a wound to your body healthy platelets will help to clot your blood. Some blood diseases prevent this from happening. That is why platelet donations are very important.

Platelet donors must:

• be male
• have given blood without any problems such as bruising or fainting
• have given blood without any problems such as bruising or fainting
• have a higher than average platelet count
• be from blood groups A, O or B, and
• live close enough to one of our 24 dedicated platelet donor centres.

The following web link will tell you where to find the donation centres where you can give platelets: [The National Blood Service web link] - this site will give you more information about Platelet donation.

Bone Marrow donation

There are two ways that you can register to be a bone marrow donor – either through the British Bone Marrow Registry if you are an existing blood donor or through the Anthony Nolan Trust. Both registers contain contact details for people that have had tests for donation suitability. The information is shared with other registers around the world to increase the probability of finding a tissue match for someone needing a stem cell or bone marrow transplant. An estimated 16,000 people need a bone marrow transplant globally. Over 500 people a year are helped by this treatment in the UK alone.

The image to the left shows a highly magnified eye of a needle containing a life saving stem cell. The cells can be taken from bone marrow (usually the pelvis), peripheral blood stem cells or cord blood.

There are very strict medical criteria that a potential donor has to fulfil in order to register. Suitability depends on a blood test being carried out and certain conditions being met e.g. you have to be over 18 years old, have no evidence of alcohol or drug abuse, generally fit etc. If you are placed on the register you can be called for a stem cell donation up to the age of 60, unless you remove your name from the register in the meantime. You cannot register for the Anthony Nolan Trust beyond the age of 40.

For more details about the Brtish Bone Marrow Registry please use the following web link: [The Brtish Bone Marrow Registry web link] Or you can ring 0300 123 23 23 for more advice.

To find out about the Anthony Nolan Trust please click on their logo or ring 020 7284 1234

Bone marrow is the soft, sponge-like material found inside bones. It contains immature cells known as hematopoietic or blood-forming stem cells. (Hematopoietic stem cells are different from embryonic stem cells. Embryonic stem cells can develop into every type of cell in the body.) Hematopoietic stem cells divide to form more blood-forming stem cells, or they mature into one of three types of blood cells: white blood cells, which fight infection; red blood cells, which carry oxygen; and platelets, which help the blood to clot.

Bone marrow is removed from your hip bone using a syringe. Though this is not a surgical operation, it is usually carried out under a general anaesthetic because the procedure can be painful. This retrieval method is called bone marrow 'harvesting'.

After donating bone marrow, you may experience some discomfort at the site where the needle is inserted into your hip, but this should pass within a few days. You will usually be required to stay in the hospital for 48 hours in order to make sure that you have recovered fully from the general anaesthetic.

It usually takes five days for people to fully recover from the effects of the anaesthetic and to regenerate their donated bone marrow. It is recommended that you stay at home during this period and ensure that you get plenty of rest.

Most hematopoietic stem cells are found in the bone marrow, but some cells, called peripheral blood stem cells (PBSCs), are found in the bloodstream.

Removing peripheral blood stem cells is very similar to giving blood, but takes longer to do. A unit of blood can be given in under 30 minutes. Removing stem cells from the blood using an apherisis machine can take up to five hours. It is much less painful than a bone marrow harvest.

If you are called to donate using this method every day for four days before the PBSC donation takes place, a nurse will inject you with a medicine, either at your home, your local clinic, or hospital. The medicine will increase the number of stem cells you have in your blood. Non-white, male donors are desperately needed to be bone marrow or PBSC donors.

On the fifth day, you will be connected to a special machine that can separate the stem cells from your blood. The stem cells are then collected for donation. The photo to the right shows a patient donating stem cells. The process can take up to five hours. Blood is taken from the left arm. Stem cells are then 'spun-off' into a container by the apherisis machine and the remaining blood is re-circulated back into your body through the right arm. I am reliably informed that you are treated like a special guest - served tea & biscuits and allowed to watch the DVD's of your choice! What a lovely way to save somebody's life! And while all this happening your healthy bone marrow is making more stem cells to replace the ones you have donated.

Blood in the umbilical cord also contains hematopoietic stem cells. Cells from any of these sources can be used in transplants. Cord blood can be donated at certain hospitals in the UK. (See Cord Blood heading below.)

Bone marrow transplants are necessary when the bone marrow becomes so diseased, or damaged, that it does not function properly. This may be due to a disease such as leukaemia (cancer of the bone marrow cells), non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, or a related cancer of the blood.

Other diseases that may require a bone marrow transplant include:

• genetic diseases, such as sickle cell anaemia, where the bone marrow does not produce enough healthy red blood cells
• immune-deficiency illnesses, such as aplastic anaemia, which causes the immune system to stop working properly
• other diseases that affect the blood, such as multiple myeloma (a cancer that affects blood plasma cells).

Bone marrow transplants may also be necessary following certain treatments, such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy, which tend to damage healthy stem cells at the same time as destroying cancer cells. For more information about blood diseases and bone marrow procedures visit the following NHS website: [The NHS Choices web link]

Cord blood donation

Cord blood is the blood that remains in the placenta and umbilical cord after a baby is born. It is rich in stem cells, which can help to cure many life threatening diseases. The stem cells found in cord blood restore the function of the patient’s immune and blood producing systems. It is an alternative to using bone marrow, with the advantage of being immediately available when required. Following the birth of a baby, the placenta and umbilical cord are usually thrown away along with these life saving stem cells.

There are private cord blood banks where individuals can have their stem cells frozen. If you go to a private clinic if at a later date the stem cells are needed for medical therapy purposes such as a transplant, the private donor can get their own stem cells back. This is a commercial activity with significant costs for the people involved. In contrast donating to the NHS Cord Blood Bank costs nothing to the donor.

The NHS Cord Blood Bank website explains the difference between private cord blood banks and the NHS one. Go to the following web link to find out more information: [The NHS Cord Blood Bank web link]

The NHS Cord Blood Bank exists to allow mothers to store their babies’ cord blood so it can be used for the benefit of society as a whole. At the moment the opportunity to donate cord blood is restricted to a few NHS hospitals but there are plans to extend this opportunity to other hospitals. Currently cord blood can be donated at:

• Barnet General (Barnet, Hertfordshire)
• Luton & Dunstable (Luton, Bedfordshire)
• Northwick Park (Harrow, Middlesex)
• Watford General (Watford, Hertfordshire).

If you are interested in donating cord blood through the NHS either go to their website or use the following contact details:

• Call on 0800 783 5870 or 020 8437 1740 during office hours (answer phone service available at weekends)
• E-mail at cordblood.donation@nbs.nhs.uk
• Or write to us at NHS Cord Blood Bank, Deansbrook Road, Edgware, Middlesex, HA8 9BD.

The Anthony Nolan Trust also has a Cord Blood programme – their bank is at Nottingham. Currently their programme can only retrieve cord blood from King's College Hospital, Denmark Hill, London, SE5 9RS. You can ring the King’s College Hospital Patient Advice and Liaison Team (PALS) on 020 3299 3601 for more information.

Or visit the Trust’s website using the following link: [The Anthony Nolan Trust Cord Blood programme web link]

I have been told that this is a totally risk free and painless way to donate stem cells that really does save lives. Can't be bad!

Tissue and Organ donation

The process of tissue and organ donation is regulated by the Human Tissue Authority (HTA). This was set up in the aftermath of the Alder Hey organ retention ivestigations. The Human Tissue Act of 2004 was put into action in 2006. You can inspect the Act of Parliament at the following web link:[Parliament web link] The HTA regulates deceased and living organ donation. If you click on the HTA logo you will be taken to their website.

The NHSBT Special Health Authority has the overall responsibility for organising tissue and organ retrieval under the regulatory guidance laid down by the HTA.

To become a registered organ donor you have to put your name and contact details on the National Transplant Database which is organised in an office based in Bristol. NHSBT is currently going through a reorganisation. In the past the national database was managed by UK Transplant. This organisation has had a name change and is now officially called the Organ Donation and Transplantation Directorate or ODT for short. The Organ Donor Register is managed by the ODT.

In October 2009 the Organ Donor Register will enter its sixteenth year. By signing up to the database you are giving your individual consent for suitable organs and tissues to be taken from your body when you die. Less than 1% o f population die in circumstances where organ retrieval can take place after a person dies. About 75% of donors are ‘heart beating’. This means they have been diagnosed as brain stem dead whilst on a ventilator in an intensive care department. The other 25% have been diagnosed as ‘cardiac dead’ after their medical treatment had been withdrawn because there was no possible way of saving the patient’s life.

Four out of ten families refuse the request to retrieve organs even though the deceased patient wanted that to happen. In countries like Austria they do not allow families to do this. Austria has what is known as a ‘hard’ option. This means that a committed donor must have their consent honoured by the family. Spain operates a ‘soft’ option which requires the agreement of the bereaved next of kin for donation to take place. The ‘soft’ option applies in the UK. It is for this reason that it is not enough to simply add your name and details to the Organ Donor Register. You must also discuss your wishes with your family, friends or partners to encourage them to support your wishes to be a donor. Without family support the request for donation is often denied. When the family members have discussed this very sensitive subject nine out of ten families support the donor’s wishes. So the crucial task is to agree your end of life wishes to be a donor with your close family members or friends. In emotional terms this makes the process of donation less distressing for the family and the NHS staff that support the family in these often tragic circumstances. You can read the HTA guidance on consent for donation at the following link on this website: [HTA Consent guidelines]

Potentially an organ donor could help the lives of nine people: heart, two lungs, two kidneys, two liver lobes, small intestines and pancreas. Add to this list potential tissue donation and a further 50 people could be helped with pancreatic islets, corneas, sclera, skin, cartilage, tendons, bone, ligaments, arteries, heart valves – did you know that over 10,000 bone grafts are carried out each year and that over 2,000 corneal transplants take place annually?

The more people we have that are willing to be donors the more lives we can save. More donors help the NHS to shorten waiting times which reduces patient and family distress.

You are never too young or old to be a donor. The oldest cornea donor was 104 years of age. So you can register at any age and in any state of health, although if you have certain medical conditions they might prevent donation taking place. In England if you are under 18 years of age you will need parental consent to sign on the Organ Donor Register.

To join the Organ Donor Register you can either ring 0300 123 23 23 (which replaces the old number 0845 60 60 400 - formerly UK Transplant) or visit the Organ Donation and Transplantation website by clicking on the card:

Sperm and Embryo donation

A recent newspaper report in the Daily Mail suggested that one in six couples has fertility problems in the UK. Many of these couples need IVF treatment in order to conceive. In many cases this would require the donation of gametes. Gametes are reproductive cells such as an egg or sperm. The newspaper article estimated that at least 4,000 people need the services of a sperm donor. About 2,000 babies each year in the UK are conceived using donated sperm, eggs or embryos. Infertile couples are able through donation and transplants to fulfil their dream of having children – a gift that so many of us take totally for granted. Click here to read the Daily Mail article from November 2008: [Daily Mail web link]

An amazing double triple sisterhood act

Alex and Shaun Patrick faced the prospect of married life without having children. Alex received chemotherapy treatment in 1999 that left her unable to have babies. So how come Alex is holding her son Charlie in the left hand photo? He was born in July 2005 some years after Alex became infertile. Charlotte Pestell (shown to the right of Charlie with the sun glasses on top of her head) donated eggs for Shaun Patrick (the husband of Alex) to artificially inseminate. Charlotte just happens to be the twin sister of Alex. Then older sister Helen Ritchie steps in to carry the implanted embryo for nine months – and out pops Charlie.

This is definitely a family affair! The sisters got together again, and with Shaun’s help, they produced Oliver in October 2008. Oliver is being held by his mum in the right hand photo. With a little help from an egg donor and a surrogate mum the sister act has decided that the Patrick family is now complete. Follow the Daily Mail web link to get the full story of this family's success over infertility: [Daily Mail web link]

In the case of the Patrick family sperm donation was not required. Male infertility is a common issue that prevents couples from reproducing. Sperm donors like Mark Jackson can come to the rescue. He can bring hope to numerous couples simply by donating his fertile sperm. You can read about Mark’s generosity in the following Guardian newspaper article or by clicking on his photograph (taken by Christopher Tolmond).[The Guardian web link]

Under current rules laid down by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA), which regulates the whole sperm and embryo process in the UK, Mark's sperm can only be used to help ten families. Rule changes to donor anonymity have led to a sharp decline in sperm donation - so maybe it's time for the men of the UK to step forward and share the fruits of their manliness! Information about how this process is regulated is discussed below.

For more donor and recipient stories please visit the Donor Conception Network website at the following link: [The Donor Conception Network web link]

The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) website can be reached by clicking on their logo below.

The HFEA has the statutory responsibility to license fertility clinics in the UK and to regulate the use of donated gametes for fertility treatment and research purposes. You can contact the HFEA in the following ways: Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority 21 Bloomsbury St, London, WC1B 3HF: Tel: 020 7291 8200: Fax: 020 7291 8201: Email us: admin@hfea.gov.uk You can use any of these contact details to get information about locating the licensed clinics where you can donate sperm or eggs.

According to the HFEA:

"the term ‘donation’ applies to the gifting of your sperm, eggs or embryos for use in fertility treatment or, if you wish, research. As a result of donation those who are unable to conceive without the help of a third party are given the opportunity to have the family they want. In the UK, donation takes place at HFEA licensed fertility clinics."

"Donating can have a significant impact on the people who receive the donation, the donor-conceived child, the donor and their family. It is not a decision to be taken lightly. You should consider your decision carefully and discuss it with your family. As well as donating sperm, eggs and embryos for use in others’ fertility treatment, you can also donate for research purposes. "

"The use of sperm and eggs to create embryos for research can only be carried out if a fertility clinic’s research project has been licensed. The projects must meet certain criteria and be deemed ‘necessary and desirable’. "

The HFEA website contains all the legal and procedural guidelines that you should take into consideration as a potential gamete donor or recipient. You are advised to check these very carefully.

The National Gamete Donation Trust (NGDT) provides a wealth of information about sperm and embryo donation. It runs a confidential helpline on 0845 226 9193 or email: info@ngdt.co.uk You can also write to them at: PO Box 2121, Gloucester, GL19 4WT. The website for NGDT can be accessed using the following link: [The National Gamete Donation Trust web link]

The National Gamete Donation Trust offers the following information and advice on their website:

One in seven couples seek medical help at some stage in their lives in order to achieve a pregnancy. For some people treatment with sperm, eggs or embryos donated by others is their only hope of achieving a pregnancy and ultimately a family.

Unfortunately there is a shortage of egg and sperm donors in the UK. Many of those who are unable to be treated because of a lack of donors face profound psychological and emotional strain. The donation of egg or sperm to help a couple have a child is one of the most generous gifts anyone can give. Many donors feel a sense of pride, knowing the joy they have brought to people who could not have otherwise become parents.

If you are a woman, between the age of 18 and 35 years or a man between 18 and 45 and are generally healthy, you can donate.

The decision to donate can have consequences for you, the people who receive your donation, any children that are born as a result and for your own family if you have one. It is therefore important that you get as much advice as you can. We can put you in touch with other donors.

Once you take the step of contacting a clinic you should make sure you have a chance to get your questions answered. Ask people you trust what they think too - this can often be very helpful. This may lead you to decide that donating is not for you.

If you are in any doubt, don't do it.

Over the last few years, attitudes towards donation and people’s right to know about their parentage and genetic origins have changed. The person/people who received your donation will be the child’s legal and social parent(s) - you will not be named on the birth certificate.

You have no legal, financial or social obligations to any child created from your donation either now or in 18 years time.

Donors may claim expenses incurred in connection with the donation process, for example the cost of childcare, travel costs and other out-of-pocket expenses.

Additionally, you can also claim compensation for loss of earnings up to a daily maximum of £55.19, with an overall maximum of £250 per course of sperm donation.

For further information and more personal success stories go to the NGDT website.

Whole body donation

The HFEA regulates gamete donation. The Human Tissue Authority is the regulatory body that sets out the guidance for all other tissue and organ donation – deceased or living. This includes whole body donation after death. The cadavers (dead bodies) can be used for training or research purposes. The relevant link for all the issues connected to body donation can be found at the ‘frequently asked questions’ section of the HTA website: [The HTA web link]

English law is very vague about who ‘owns’ or takes responsibility for the deceased body. The very use of the word ‘own’ conjures up thoughts that are inappropriate to the human body and spirit. Perhaps ‘stewardship’ would be better than ‘own’? If death occurs in unexpected or unexplained circumstances the law is very clear: the coroner’s court takes full responsibility for the dead person prior to their funeral. When the cause of death is determined the authority for the body transfers to the next of kin.

Altruistic body donation does not mean that you are donating your body to the state but to a medical school that may accept your generous offer. I know from personal experience that university medical schools are not obliged to take you! As with all tissue and organ donation there is no financial incentive for donating your body. You cannot be an organ donor as well as a body donor. The medical schools want you whole and intact.

Click the PDF button that follows to find the contact details of the university medical schools in the UK that welcome body donation. You have to request an application from the university medical school of your choice and hope that you meet their requirements. Different criteria for acceptance exist around the country.  

The government’s Chief Medical Officer, Sir Liam Donaldson said in May 2007:

While the number of people in England and Wales donating kidneys, livers and other organs has increased since 2000, the number of people leaving their whole body for medical science has fallen. Between 2000 and 2005 the number of body donations fell from 670 to 600. This has meant that some schools no longer have sufficient for their teaching needs.

By contrast, the number of English and Welsh medical schools has increased, and new postgraduate anatomy departments have opened to improve the anatomy training of surgeons. With the formation of new medical schools, the number of medical students at most established medical schools has also increased in parallel, to a total of over 6,000 a year.

This combination of reduced donations and increased numbers of students has resulted in a serious shortage of bodies for the education and training of medical and dental students, and for medical research.

An increase in people who are wish to donate their body is necessary to make good the current the current shortage of bodies for education, but also to facilitate training in a number of surgical techniques that are permitted, for the first time, by the Human Tissue Act 2004.

The Chief Medical Officer's full statement can be read at the following Department of Health web link: [Statement web link]

According to the Royal College of Surgeons, the shortage of bodies donated to medical science is threatening the study of anatomy. In May 2007, the College predicted a shortage of nearly 30 percent in the academic year and estimates that medical schools need at least 1000 bodies every year.

One website blames the shortage of bodies donated on the various body exhibitions that go around the country. Check the website yourself to see if you share their views. Go to the following web link: [Corpse Show web link]This website questions the morality of body exhibitions and argues that such shows reduce the supply of life saving organs for transplant procedures.

When you apply to give consent to body donation you have the option of whether you would like your body to be used by the medical school for three years or if you would be happy to have the medical school keep it for as long as it is worthwhile for them to do so. Regardless of the option you choose, at the end of that time period your body will be cremated. This cremation will include a short service and will be individual, not a mass cremation. Your ashes may be received by a designated person if you would like them to be.

From my own personal standpoint I want to donate my body for medical research and training at the point of my death as a token gesture of thanks for what medical science and the NHS has done for me during my lifetime. Without my heart and kidney transplant I would have died three years ago. I value the fact that doctors and medical research scientists have had the opportunity to develop their knowledge and skills on donated body parts. But I also understand the concerns expressed by some people about the illegal markets and trade in body parts. That is why the Human Tissue Authority enforces one of the toughest regulatory regimes in the world with regard to tissue and organ supply.

Pat Honeysett's mother became a body donor. Pat is going to do the same. You can read her ideas in the following Daily Telegraph article: [The Daily Telegraph web link]

Brain donation

As with all tissue and organ donation in the UK the process is closely regulated by the Human Tissue Authority - the HTA has a FAQ section that can be found at the following web link: [The HTA web link]

In recent years a number of trusts, charities or societies have recognised the importance of donating tissue for research and, in particular, brain tissue in order to research degenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s. The Medical Research Council has established partnerships with several tissue research centres such as King’s College and Imperial College to investigate the causes of these degenerative and debilitating diseases. The research requires tissue donation for people who have suffered from the diseases through their life time and tissue that has not been affected by the condition. It should be emphasised that tissue donation is for research purposes only. Brain transplantation remains science fiction in the early twenty-first century!

Below is a list of organisations that seek to promote tissue research using brains. Each of these organisations have websites with explanations of what they hope to achieve through research and how you can become a brain donor – click on their web link to access more information:

Dementia Research web link

Brain Bank for Autism research web link

The Parkinson’s Disease Society web link

Tourette's Action web link

UK Multiple Sclerosis Tissue Bank web link

The Alzheimer’s Society web link

King's College, London web link

The link for King's College will take you to the website of one of the country's tissue research centres where it explains why donation of this sort is so important. In the following video the actress Jane Asher explains why she has become a registered brain donor through the Parkinson’s Disease Society. She is talking from the tissue research centre at Imperial College.

By choosing to be a donor you give other people the choice of life