In consultation with the Department of Health, The Royal College of Pathologists has recently carried out a survey of all pathology departments to find out to what extent, six months after their publication, its guidelines on the retention of tissues and organs at post-mortem examination have been adopted. The survey shows overwhelmingly that the sentiments of the guidelines, and in particular the need for informed and explicit consent from relatives to take any material for medical research or teaching, have been universally accepted by pathologists. It is now highly unlikely that organs or small parts of organs will be retained for this purpose without full agreement anywhere in the United Kingdom. A significant effect of this change in practice is also emerging as reports are received of a fall in the number of post-mortem examinations and lack of full information from many of those that are carried out due to reluctance to take tissue samples for microscopic analysis.
Clinical governance requires that the quality of medical care be continuously monitored.
The post-mortem examination has long been accepted as a valid and productive audit tool with many studies revealing a significant percentage of cases in which the findings, if known during life, would have altered clinical management. The Royal College of Pathologists published 'Guidelines for the retention of tissues and organs at post-mortem examination', together with an information booklet for relatives, written by the College's Patient Liaison Group, on 23 March 2000. The Royal College of Pathologists' survey included all 1230 practicing histopathologists in the United Kingdom. Synthesise the views of its parent bodies on issues relating to the organisation and delivery of UK pathology services, particularly those relevant to more than one professional staff group. Offer a single source of advice and information to outside organisations such as UK Government departments, the NHS Executive, private healthcare organisations, accrediting bodies, patient organisations and the media.