Living Organ Donation | Human Tissue Authority

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Living organ donation

We regulate the donation of organs in the UK from living people by making the decision on whether the donation can go ahead, based on criteria set out in law.

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The Human Tissue Act 2004 provides a legal framework for living organ donation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. In Scotland, the framework is provided by the Human Tissue (Scotland) Act 2006.

It is a criminal offence to carry out a transplant operation between two living people if the conditions of the HT Act are not met. This means valid consent must have been given. It is also an offence to be involved in the buying or selling of human organs. The penalty for these offences is a prison sentence of up to three years, a fine, or both.

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Find out more about living organ donation

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The Independent Assessment process

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Information on using and setting up living donor matching websites.

Read our guidance

Types of living organ donation

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Living organ donation FAQs

Read our FAQs

The role of the HTA and NHSBT

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Travelling outside the UK for organ transplantation

This page contains information on travelling outside the UK for an organ transplant. Find out more

Further resources and information

We recommend that you read the living organ donor leaflet (PDF 132KB) regarding the role of the HTA and our assessment process. This will help to inform you about our role and what is involved for both you and the organ recipient.

NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT)

• Could I be a living kidney donor?
• Can I donate a kidney to someone I don't know?
• The UK Living Kidney Sharing Schemes
• Could I be a living liver donor?

Other websites and resources

• British Transplantation Society
• Give a Kidney
• EU Commission living kidney donation toolbox
• Transplant TV
• Declaration of Istanbul leaflet: information on organ trafficking and commercialism

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