This change in legislation currently applies to England, Northern Ireland and Wales and parallel legislation is being developed in Scotland.
Important points to note:
The legislation does not apply retrospectively - it only applies after 1 April 2024
The Duty to Report applies to all cases where a patient receives an organ transplant outside the UK and to any case (within or outside the UK) where there is concern that an offence may have been caused under the Human Tissue Act 2004 or Modern Slavery Act 2015
Reporting is direct to the HTA via their online portal and can be done by any member of the multi-professional team involved in the care of transplant recipients and/or living donors
You are encouraged to engage with your Trust information governance and/or safeguarding teams to provide additional support for you and your team
If a case is escalated by the HTA, be prepared not to receive feedback to avoid compromising any ongoing investigation
Additional advice and guidance from the HTA can be found on their website at the following links and they can be contacted directly if you have any queries or concerns:
General info:
Supply of Information about Transplants Regulations 2024 | Events | Human Tissue Authority (hta.gov.uk)
The Regulations:
The Human Tissue Act 2004 (Supply of Information about Transplants) Regulations 2024 (legislation.gov.uk)
Guidance document for clinicians:
The Human Tissue Act 2004 (Supply of Information about Transplants) Regulations 2024.pdf (hta.gov.uk)
