Human Tissue Authority

The Human Tissue Authority (HTA) is an executive non-departmental public body of the Department of Health and Social Care in the United Kingdom. It regulates the removal, storage, use and disposal of human bodies, organs and tissue for a number of scheduled purposes such as research, transplantation, and education and training.

It was created by the Human Tissue Act 2004 and came into being on 1 April 2005 and its statutory functions began on 1 April 2006.

The HTA's aim is to build on the trust people have in the sector by ensuring that human tissue and organs are used safely and ethically, and with proper consent.

It also acts as the UK competent authority under the EU Tissue and Cells Directives and the EU Organ Donation Directive.

The remit of the HTA is set out in section 14 of the Human Tissue Act 2004. It issues a series of Codes of Practice and Standards for people working with human tissue and cells. And it issues licences and inspects organisations that remove, store and use human tissue to uphold those Standards.

It operates across 6 areas:

1. Anatomy: Use of bodies for anatomical examination, teaching, and training.
2. Post Mortem: Post-mortem examinations, tissue retention, and disposal.
3. Public Display: Display of human bodies and tissue.
4. Organ Donation and Transplantation: Organ and tissue donation, retrieval, and transplantation.
5. Research: Use of human tissue in research.
6. Human Application: Use of human tissues and cells for medical treatment.