Alder Hey inquiry

30th January, 2001

The Chief Medical Officer Professor Liam Donaldson today published his national census on organ retention by NHS Trusts and medical schools in England along with guidance to the Government on the way forward in this sensitive area.

The Secretary of State for Health, Alan Milburn also announced the publication of the Report of the Inquiry into the Royal Children's Hospital, Liverpool - known as Alder Hey – led by Michael Redfern QC, where organs were retained.

In a Statement to the House of Commons the Secretary of State made clear that measures are being put in place to ensure that the regrettable events at Alder Hey can never happen again.

West Suffolk Hospitals NHS Trust Chief Executive, Johanna Finn said:

"The West Suffolk Hospitals NHS Trust provides a pathology service and therefore carries out post-mortems when these are required by the Coroner or when relatives agree to a hospital post-mortem to better understand the patient's illness.

"Organs may sometimes be removed temporarily as part of this. It has not been our practice to retain organs beyond obtaining a detailed diagnosis of the patient's condition. Those which are removed will either have been restored to the deceased prior to internment or cremation or otherwise disposed of at a later date.

"The Trust has a small number of specimens that came to the West Suffolk Hospital from Newmarket General Hospital when it closed in the early 1990s. Records which accompany them show that they predate 1972.

"They have been kept in a locked store room while at the West Suffolk Hospital and arrangements are being made to examine them so that we can respond clearly and accurately to inquiries. This will take a little time.

"We appreciate that relatives of those who have sadly died or had post-mortems carried out within our services may be concerned about the possibility of organs having been retained. They can contact the Trust on 01284 713000 where a small team, which I am leading, has been set up to respond to their calls.

"I realise that this a difficult area and that recent  reports may have given rise to concern. I and my colleagues at the West Suffolk Hospitals Trust are sorry for any distress that this issue may have caused.

Notes:

The Alder Hey Inquiry Report is available on the Department of Health website at www. rlcinquiry.org.uk/index.htm

The Chief Medical Officer's Census of Organ Retention in England and his advice to Ministers on Organ Retention is also on the website at:

www.doh.gov.uk/organcensus

www.doh.gov.uk/orgretentionadvice

www.doh.gov.uk/orgretentionconsent