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Retained Organs Commission |
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Closure of the CommissionWhy is the Commission closing now?The Commission was formally established by the Secretary of State for Health, on 1 April 2001. This was in the immediate aftermath of the publication of the Redfern Report and the Chief Medical Officer's advice to Government. It was originally planned to operate only for two years. It was extended for a further year, until 31 March 2004, to enable it to complete its work. Will an interim organisation be established?The Commission recognises that families may continue to seek information about the retention of organs and tissue from loved ones and therefore arrangements are now in place to return the handling of enquiries to NHS Trusts. Strategic Health Authorities in England will be responsible for performance managing NHS Trusts in relation to organ retention from 31 March 2004. In Wales arrangements to fulfil this function will involve NHS Trusts and the Welsh Assembly Government's Health Department. What has been done to ensure that Trusts and Strategic Health Authorities can do this?The Commission has held a series of workshops over the past three months to prepare all Strategic Health Authorities for their new responsibilities. The Commission has also issued guidance and information to Trusts over the last three years, to ensure that they are fully equipped to respond promptly and sensitively to any further enquiries that may arise. How do I get in touch with my local NHS Trust?You can obtain contact details of your local NHS Trust by contacting your local Strategic Health Authority. Details should be available in your local telephone directories. Who else can provide support?Your local hospital may have an organ retention enquiry line or helpline. Hospital chaplains can offer advice and support as can General Practitioners; Primary Care Trusts, Patients Advice Liaison Service (PALS), Funeral Directors and Crematoria. What is happening with regards to the Human Tissue Bill?The Human Tissue Bill was published by the Government on 4 December 2003 and is currently making its passage through Parliament. The Bill aims to provide safeguards for patients, families and clinicians where questions of organ removal and use arise. At its core are proposals to make consent the fundamental principle for any retention or use of human tissue and organs and to introduce penalties for unlawful retention or use. Will a Human Tissue Authority be established in the future?The Bill also proposes to establish a new regulatory body - the Human Tissue Authority to regulate the removal, storage, use and disposal of human material in future. What will happen to the Commission's National Helpline?The Commission's helpline will close on 31 March 2004 and up to that date all enquiries will be passed to the relevant NHS Trust for a response. After this date enquirers will need to contact their local NHS Trust about organ retention. All Trusts with retained organs should have a designated organ retention contact that can provide help. What happens to enquirers who are not happy with the help they have received from the Trust?Enquirers who are unhappy with the service provided by the NHS Trust can make a complaint following the Trust's formal complaint procedure. If a formal complaint is not appropriate, consulting the Trust's Patient Advice Liaison Service (PALS) may be helpful. Strategic Health Authorities are responsible for performance managing Trusts and enquirers may wish to raise this with them. What National support groups are available to help?Details of national Family Support Groups in England and Helplines in Scotland and Northern Ireland are listed below:
National Committee Relating to Organ Retention (NACOR) PITY II Northern Ireland
Department of Health Social Services and Public Safety Human Organs Enquiry Line: 0808 800 8810 Scotland
Scottish Executive NHS Helpline: 08000 27 00 09 There are also several local support groups around the country. Local Trusts will have details of these within their area. Wales In Wales the monitoring and performance management of organ retention issues will be undertaken by the Health and Social Care Department at the Welsh Assembly Government and individual NHS Trusts will continue to deal with local individual cases and any new enquiries.
Welsh Assembly Government
Where can I obtain hard copies of the publications listed on the Commission's website:You can obtain hard copies the Commission's publications, subject to availability, by contacting:
Department of Health Publications
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