Code A: Annex B - Consent

This guidance outlines when consent is required for various scheduled purposes, covering both living and deceased human tissue.

Consent for removal is generally required under common law, rather than the Human Tissue Act.

Storage and use consent is required for:

• Scientific/medical information gathering
• Public display
• Research into disorders and human body functioning
• Transplantation

Consent is required for all activities (removal, storage, and use) for the following purposes:

• Anatomical examination
• Determining cause of death (except under coroner authority)
• Establishing treatment efficacy
• Scientific/medical information gathering
• Public display
• Research into disorders and human body functioning
• Transplantation
• Clinical audit
• Education or training
• Performance assessment
• Public health monitoring
• Quality assurance

Activities involving living donors that don't require HT Act consent for storage and use:

• Clinical audit
• Education or training
• Performance assessment
• Public health monitoring
• Quality assurance

Special Considerations:

• Coroner investigations into cause of death do not require consent
• Removal of tissue from living donors always requires common law consent, regardless of purpose

This information is based on the Human Tissue Act requirements and associated regulations.

A table version of this information is available below.