DONATING YOUR BODY TO MEDICAL SCIENCE

The Human Tissue Act 2004

Donating your body to medical science is a valuable thing to do as it offers anatomists and medical students the chance to further their knowledge about the human body, which in turn will benefit the living.

The London School of Anatomy state that their investigations help research into:

• The structure and biomechanics of the body

• Variations between individuals and the effects of age and sex on anatomical structures

• Detailed surgical anatomy of clinically important regions

• Morphometric analysis of the human body

• Validation of research methods

• Evaluation of new surgical techniques

When arranging for the deceased to be donated to medical science it is paramount that consent has been obtained from them before they die. The consent form asks the person donating their body to state their name, address, postcode and date of birth. It then states, ‘I wish to donate my body after death. I understand that it may be used for anatomical examination, education, training and research.” The second section relates to how long the deceased will consent to their body parts being retained for giving options for up to 3 years or more than 3 years. The consent form can be obtained from a medical school here.

Before a body can be moved to a medical school the doctor must complete the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death, the death must be registered, and the Registrars Certificate for Burial or Cremation must be obtained. No funeral can take place. A simple unattended cremation will be arranged by the medical school once their studies have been completed.