Human Tissue Authority members announced 4/4/05. By the Public Health Genetics Unit The UK Department of Health has announced the membership of the Human Tissue Authority.

The Human Tissue Authority (HTA) came into existence as of 1 April 2005, created as required by the Human Tissue Act 2004, which comes into force 1 April 2006.

Members of the HTA

• Baroness Hayman, Chair (announced 5 February 2005)
• Professor Michael Banner, Director, Economic and Social Research Council Genomics Forum
• Dr David Davies, Licensed anatomist, reader and lecturer in neuroscience
• Mrs Shirley Harrison, Company Director
• Professor James Ironside, Professor of Clinical Neuropathology, University of Edinburgh
• Mrs Jane Jeffs, Retired Chief Officer of Community Health Councils (appointed by the National Assembly of Wales)
• Professor El-Nasir Lalani, Prof of Molecular and Cellular Pathology and Honorary Consultant Histopathologist
• Ms Sharmila Nebhrajani, Chief Operating Officer and Finance Director, BBC New Media and Technology
• Dr Andrew Reid, HM Coroner, Inner North London
• Mr Keith Rigg, Consultant General and Transplant Surgeon, Nottingham City Hospital NHS Trust
• Dr Katherine Robson-Brown, Archaeologist, University of Bristol
• Ms Helen Shaw, Co-Director of INQUEST
• Professor Sir James Underwood, Professor of Pathology, Univ of Sheffield and President, Royal College of Pathologists
• Mrs Michaela Willis, Chief Executive Officer, National Bereavement Partnership.

Two members are yet to be named: a member to be appointed by the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety, Northern Ireland; and a member with experience in nursing.

According to the Department of Health, "The HTA will be the regulating authority for matters relating to activities such as anatomical and post-mortem examinations, transplantations and the storage of human material for education, training and research." It will also act as the competent authority for the EU Tissue and Cells Directive, adopted in April 2004.

The HTA will be responsible for writing codes of practice to implement the Act and the Directive, covering issues such as: consent; definition of death; existing holdings; removal, storage and disposal of human tissue; and import and export of human tissue and organs.

The Department of Health plans, in 2008, to combine the work of the HTA with that of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority to create a new authority, the Regulatory Authority for Fertility and Tissue. This will be responsible for the regulation and inspection of a wide range of uses of human tissue. However, the proposed remit for the Regulatory Authority for Fertility and Tissue may change due to ongoing discussions.

The House of Commons Science and Technology Committee's recent report on Human Reproductive Technologies and the Law recommends that the Regulatory Authority for Fertility and Tissue take on only the oversight of technical standards and quality management in regard to assisted reproduction. An expanded version of the Human Genetics Commission would then be responsible for advising Government on relevant developments in treatments and research, a role currently held by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority.

The Department of Health has announced it is conducting a review of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990 with a public consultation exercise to be conducted in 2005. The Department will be considering the recommendations of the Select Committee as well as submissions from interested parties. Comments can be sent to review-hfe-act@dh.gsi.gov.uk .

Further reading

Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority

Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990 (Background)

Human Genetics Commission (Background)