This means that donors must have given their permission in advance.

For consent to be valid it must be informed. This means it must be fully understood and be in a suitable format for the donor e.g. braille, large font or with an interpreter.

We must also take into account the age or mental capacity of the donor. In some cases a donor may be unable to give consent themselves (e.g. after their death). In these cases, nurses will ask an appropriate person, such as a family member.

Patient consent is fundamental to obtaining and storing samples for research. If you do not wish to donate tissue, you do not have to give a reason and your hospital treatment will not be affected. 

Taking Consent

A trained member of staff will take you through the consent process. They will inform you of the benefits, and risks (if any) of donating a sample.

You will be given a participant information sheet to read and take away with you.

Once you are happy, the doctor or nurse will ask you to sign a form to confirm your consent. The person taking consent will also sign this form and they will store it securely.

Withdrawing Consent

If, for any reason, you do not want to continue your participation, you can withdraw your consent at any time. You don’t need to tell us the reason for your withdrawal. 

Any samples you have donated will be disposed of following the HTA regulations and in line with your wishes stated at the time of consent. Some research may already have taken place with your sample but we will ensure no further research is carried out.

In some cases it may not be possible to retrieve your sample. For example, we have no way to trace samples stored completely anonymously back to you . This will be fully explained in the information given to you during the consent process.