Below are answers to the most common questions we receive from prospective and registered donors. If you can't find the information you are looking for here or elsewhere in the site, please contact us.
Q. Can you work with other donor schemes?
A. Yes, we can work with other national donor and regional donor schemes, if we are notified in advance of your wishes and we have their full contact details. However we cannot work with whole body donations as they require the whole body!
Q. What happens if I die on holiday?
A. If you were to pass away whilst on holiday within the United Kingdom it maybe possible for us to
procure tissue if we are contacted in time, however if you are holidaying abroad it is unlikely to retrieve tissue in appropriate time frame.
Q. When should the Next of Kin contact the Tissue Bank?
A. We advise the Next of Kin to contact the tissue bank as soon as possible after the person dies.
However if a registered donor becomes increasingly ill and is not expected to live much longer, the next of kin may wish to contact us in advance so that we can start making arrangements, so that the donation occurs more smoothly when the time comes.
Q. What happens if a Post Mortem is necessary?
A. If there is to be a post mortem we have to take guidance from the Coroner. We are often allowed
to take tissue, however this is entirely at the discretion of the Coroner but we do try to persuade them to let us take tissue within the time frame.
Q. Do you have to have PD or related disease to register as a potential donor?
A. No, we need people to donate that don’t have a neurological condition, these are called control
donors and are extremely important as they are used as a comparison against the PD brains.
Q. How do I register with the Tissue Bank?
A. To become a potential donor you have to register with us. This involves completing 3 forms, the
first form is for you to complete, the second is for you Next of Kin to complete. Legally we need these forms to be completed before we are allowed to take tissue. There is also a form about your health and who is your GP etc…
Q. Which number do I ring if I have a question or problem?
A. If you have a question regarding the donation process, or anything that is worrying you, please call us in the office on 020 8383 4917 during office hours. Please only use the emergency bleep number when a person has died or is expected to die shortly, 07659 10 45 37.
Q. What do I do if some of my details change?
A. Please contact us if any of your details on the forms you have completed change, it is very important that your details are kept up to date.
Q. What happens if I don’t have a next-of-kin or they live abroad?
A. The Tissue Bank needs a signature from your next-of-kin as well as yourself as the potential donor
before we can collect tissue. However, if you do not have any next-of-kin or they live abroad you can nominate someone to act as your next-of-kin as long as this is done legally through a solicitor.
Q. What happens if I change my mind and decide donating tissue is not for me?
A. You are free to change your mind about being a registered potential donor at any time but please
notify the Tissue Bank of your change in wishes!
