University tissue row 'unacceptable'

Queen's said it deeply regretted any distress caused

The failure of Queen's University to disclose the retention of human tissue has been described as "wholly unacceptable" by the health minister Bairbre de Brun.

The minister's comments follow a statement from the Belfast university which said it had retained tissue from a small number of bodies, without telling the relatives of those involved.

The minister said the chief medical officer should have been told of the matter during the course of an audit which was recently conducted into the retention of human organs.

A public inquiry into organ retention by hospitals in Northern Ireland was called last year.

Sorry does not get us what we want from the coroner and that is to get all that the Royal and Queen's University have so we can bury him for a third time

Kate Moore
Relative

This followed revelations that organs were removed from children without parental consent over a period of more than half a century, and stored for the purposes of diagnosis.

The family of a boy who died 11 years ago have said they have been devastated for a second time after discovering parts of the child's brain were kept for research.

The university said it "deeply regretted any distress caused to the families".

Kate Moore, whose six-year-old nephew Colin Bingham died in 1991, said the family had been told on Tuesday that the university still had six samples of his brain.

Teaching purposes

The child died in a so-called joy-riding accident in 1991.

The revelation came a year after the family were told all Colin's organs kept by the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast following the post mortem examination had been returned to them.

"We had no idea even last year when we buried the other parts that they had anything," she said.

Bairbre de Brun: Said lack of disclosure by Queens was "wholly unacceptable"

"We should have been told, the Royal knew Queen's had these.

"Sorry is not good enough for us."

Meanwhile, the reference group set up for relatives have asked the minister to take action and they are seeking an urgent meeting with Queen's and the Royal Victoria Hospital to clarify the situation.

"For the past year and more there have been calls for disclosures of any material that had been retained in relation to human organs," said Pip Jaffa of the group.

'Distress'

"I find it really difficult to understand how Queen's are making this disclosure at the very last moment."

In a statement to the BBC, Queen's University admitted that it had been involved in the retention of human tissue.

It is understood that the samples were discovered during a recent audit of university premises.

The statement added that the university acted in good faith at all times.

The university said the material was used to help with diagnosis and for research and teaching purposes.

It is understood Queen's has been in contact with a further two families to discuss their cases.

Queen's said it had informed the Human Organs inquiry which was set up to investigate the retention of human tissue in Northern Ireland.

The university added that it looked forward to the publication of the inquiry's report which, it said, would help restore public confidence in the use of tissue and organs for medical purposes.