Improving body donation information to support informed consent

Anatomy establishments, such as medical schools and surgical skills centres, are often keen to promote their facilities and engage more widely in education or training. People donate their bodies in the hope that they can be used for the good of society, benefitting other people. In addition to the typically expected activities taking place in these centres, this concept of benefitting other people could include activities which seek to: raise awareness of health and wellbeing for health education purposes; improve anatomical or wider biological knowledge, or; improve patient or client safety.

Designated Individuals have a statutory duty to ensure that the ‘persons to whom the licence applies are suitable persons to participate in the carrying-on of the licensed activity’, ensure suitable practices, and ensure that the conditions of the licence are complied with. Donated material may be used for the training and education of suitable people provided that valid consent is in place. In assessing a person’s suitability, factors such as recognised qualifications, professional registration and relevant experience should be considered. It is important that the information provided to potential donors makes it clear who are deemed to be suitable people, by setting out the expected range of people who will have access to the donated material. This will give potential donors the opportunity to ask further questions and, ensure that informed consent is in place. It will also give the opportunity to donors to decline a donation if they are not comfortable with the proposed use.

Establishments may wish to run or host courses. If establishments intend to permit course providers to use donated material, the information provided to potential donors should include details of any fees that are charged and how courses are approved. The information should include details about educational courses attended by people who are not health care staff or students. It should be made clear that potential donors can discuss any concerns that they have to ensure that informed consent is in place and that they understand how the material may be used.

Establishments may charge for providing human tissue and other resources. Charges may take into account costs associated with staff time, transportation or the use of equipment. Where cost recovery or any other charging mechanism is in place, it is important that establishments are able to satisfy themselves that the information provided to potential donors is sufficient to ensure the donor understands that a fee may be paid. The HTA also recommends that establishments ensure transparency by providing easily accessible information about how and why they charge, and to whom they will supply donated material. This is important to ensure that the consent sought from donors is fully informed.

Establishments should regularly review their donor information to ensure that it is up to date and reflects their current activities and charges where relevant. They should also consider their likely future activities to ensure that the scope of consent given by the donor covers those activities. This may involve a review of the courses that donated material will be used for and identification of the types of professionals and other individuals that may be involved in the activities. Information does not have to be overly detailed or contain graphic descriptions but it should be easy to understand, and there should be opportunities for potential donors to ask for further information. In considering future activities, establishments are advised to identify potential liabilities or risks, and establish ways to mitigate them. Establishments are encouraged to consider ways of extending their document review to include members of the public or potential body donors. By engaging with their target audience, establishments can benefit from receiving feedback on the general level of understanding of the information they provide to donors. This may help to identify areas in which they need to be clearer with their explanations.