Tissue donation can be a wonderful gift that someone can give once they have died. It is different to organ donation in that the tissues can be taken after death, so this would take place in the mortuary.

The way in which tissue donation changed in May 2020 when along with organ donation it became an ‘opt out’ register. This means that everyone is on the register unless they have indicated otherwise.

If your loved one has not opted out of being on the register, you may be contacted to ask if you would like them to be considered for tissue donation. This does not mean that tissues will automatically be taken. Full consent from the next of kin must still be given for retrieval to go ahead.

More information regarding tissue donation, including what tissues can be donated, can be found at the NHS Tissue Donation website.

How can I donate my body after death?

Donation of your body to medical science or another purpose is a fantastic thing to do, but this must be consented to in life and paperwork would need to have completed accordingly. You can find more information on the Human Tissue Authority website.