Request a body donation booklet and consent forms by clicking the button on the right.
To access our information booklet in an accessible PDF format that's optimized for screen readers and other assistive devices, please click here.
Please be assured that for all purposes we keep the bodies securely and treat them with respect and dignity throughout the time that they are in our care.
Our work is regulated and licensed by the Human Tissue Authority who ensure that human tissue and organs are used safely and ethically, and with proper consent.
Information we hold is stored on a secure database on the University’s servers and is not to be shared with any other organisation unless we are required to do so by law. This data is kept in accordance with the directives of the GDPR and the University Data Protection Policy. More about how the University of Liverpool collects, uses, retains and discloses personal information can be found in our Privacy Notice.
Frequently asked questions
Can I be on BOTH the organ donation register and body donation register?
Yes. If after their death, the person is found unsuitable to be an organ donor, it may be possible for body donation to a medical school to be taken forward by relatives, solicitor or executor of the Will; as long as valid is in place.
Where can I find more information about organ donation?
Read more about organ donation, recent changes in the law, and how to register here.
What are the timescales for organ donation and body donation?
Organ donation needs to take place within 24-48 hours of death. (Source: organ donation NHS)
Body donation needs to take place within 4 days.
If I choose to donate my body, what can it be used for?
With your consent, your donated body can be used for a number of possible uses:
1. “Anatomical examination” – this term describes the teaching of the structure and function of the human body to students or healthcare professionals.
2. “Research” – this term describes scientific studies which improve the understanding of the human body.
3. “Education and training” – these terms describe the training of healthcare professionals, usually those learning surgical techniques, as opposed to anatomical examination.
Which postcodes are covered by the University of Liverpool?
Postcodes BB, CH, FY, IM, L, LA, PR, WA and WN.
Offers of body donation from outside the area may be accepted on the condition that the Donor’s estate bears the cost of transporting the body. Typical transfer costs would be 75 pence per mile.
If you live in the Isle of Man and are considering body donation, you will need to make financial arrangements with a local undertaker in relation to the transportation of your body. To enquire about whether this is possible, please contact the Bequeathal Office 0151 794 5442.
If I donate my body, will there be a funeral or memorial service?
Once the teaching or research programme is complete we will arrange and pay for a cremation service, unless the family requests the return of the body for a private burial or cremation.
This would consist of the following:
• Provision of a simple coffin and conveyance to the crematorium.
• A short service at the crematorium, usually taken by a Celebrant.
• Cremation fees.
Families are also asked if they wish to have the ashes returned to them or to have them scattered in the garden of remembrance.
Funerals usually take place within three years after death but certain courses or procedures can result in the funeral taking place much sooner, sometimes within six months.
Every two years we arrange a Service of Thanksgiving to recognise the altruism of the Donors we have accepted during that period. Friends and relatives are invited to join staff and students in a non-denominational service in Liverpool.
Are there any costs or payments involved?
Once we have decided that your body is acceptable for anatomical/medical education and research, we will pay to bring you into the University and for the eventual cremation, therefore, your family will not have the normal funeral expenses. However, if your body has to be taken to an undertaker’s premises until we make our decision, the cost of local undertaking and transportation must be borne by the next of kin or your estate. You will not receive any payment for donating your body.
Can I donate my body to a specific cause?
Please note that donated bodies may not be used for research into specific diseases and organs will not be donated for transplantation. Our information booklet includes a list of useful contact numbers should you wish to look into donating to a specific cause.
Who to contact:
Bequeathal Office
9am – 4.30pm
0151 794 5442
bodydonation@liverpool.ac.uk
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