Human Tissue Authority (HTA)

General information

The HTA licenses and inspects organisations that store and use human tissue for the purposes listed below:

• teaching about or studying the human body
• carrying out post-mortem examinations
• using human tissue to treat patients
• carrying out research on human tissue
• displaying human bodies or tissue in public (e.g. in a museum)

We also give approval for donations of organs and bone marrow from
living people. A living person who wants to donate their organs or
bone marrow has to go through an independent assessment process.
This helps to make sure that the interests of donors are looked after.

We work under two laws: the Human Tissue Act and the Quality
and Safety Regulations. Our aim is to make sure that these laws
are followed by setting standards that are clear and reasonable,
and in which the public and professionals can have confidence.
We also help people to understand these requirements by providing
codes of practice and other advice, guidance and support.

The HTA is accountable to the Secretary of State for Health.
The professional members of our Board come from medical and
scientific backgrounds linked to our work, and the lay members bring
a wide range of business, commercial and public sector experience.
You can find out more about the members of the Board on our
website. Because the HTA is funded by the Department of Health and
through licence fees, we make aim to provide value for money.