Human tissue legislation: listening to the professionals.
The controversies in Bristol, Alder Hey and elsewhere in the UK surrounding the removal and retention of human tissue and organs have led to extensive law reform in all three UK legal systems. This paper reports a short study of the reactions of a range of health professionals to these changes. Three main areas of ethical concern were noted: the balancing of individual rights and social benefit; the efficacy of the new procedures for consent; and the helpfulness for professional practice of the new legislation and regulation. Recognition of these concerns may help in forging a new partnership between professionals and patients and their families.
Campbell
A V
AV
Centre for Biomedical Ethics, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Block MD11 #02-04 Clinical Research Centre, 10 Medical Drive, Singapore. medavc@nus.edu.sg
McLean
S A M
SA
Gutridge
K
K
Harper
H
H
D001344:Autopsy / Q000941:ethics / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D002102:Cadaver; D006801:Humans; D007258:Informed Consent / Q000941:ethics / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D028701:Patient Rights / Q000941:ethics / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000941:ethics; D020458:Third-Party Consent / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D014015:Tissue Banks / Q000941:ethics / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D014019:Tissue Donors / Q000941:ethics / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D020858:Tissue and Organ Harvesting / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*