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Ministry of Defence

Answer

Mr. Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 7 February 2001, Official Report, column 523W, on organ parts, if he will list the specimens held; and for what purposes they are kept. [150814] Dr. Moonie: Pursuant to my answer of 7 February 2001, Official Report, column 523W, further investigation has revealed that the Defence Secondary Care Agency holds approximately 60 pathological specimens relating to 26 patients, rather than "26 specimens". These specimens are all held at the Royal Hospital Haslar and for each, patient consent has been given for organ retention both for diagnostic and medical research purposes. In total there are 14 organs and approximately 46 tissue samples: _________________________________________________________________________________________________. Number Brain 4 Heart 0 Lungs 4 Other organs{1} 5 Body Parts 0 Stillbirths or pre-viable foetuses 1 Tissues{2} 46 Total 60 _________________________________________________________________________________________________. {1} Not include above {2} Approximate Note: The data are recorded in the format provided to the Chief Medical Officer for his report in 2000 entitled "Retention of Organs at Post-Mortem: Census of Hospitals in England". Definition of terms: Tissues: samples of organs or body parts Organs: whole organs Body parts: limbs, heads or the entire contents of either the thorax or abdomen.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

150814; 363 c725-6W

Session

2000-01

Subjects

Consent to medical treatment Organs Post-mortems Research Royal Hospital Haslar Defence Secondary Care Agency

Contains statistics

Yes

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk