Tissue donation is the act of donating your tissues after death. Many tissues can be donated, including heart valves, corneas (the clear surface of the eye), skin and bone.

These tissues can be used for life-changing surgery; for example, a corneal transplant can restore a person's sight. It can realise the wishes a person may have expressed in life. It creates something positive from death.

The wish to donate tissue can be expressed before death, but the process of tissue donation is initiated after death. Many people are eligible for tissue donation after death and consent to donate tissues after death is sought from the person's next of kin. We encourage our patients to tell their families and friends if they want to be considered for tissue donation.

Tissue donation from Katharine House Hospice

Tissue donation from our hospice is possible. Please speak to the clinical teams involved in your care if you would like to be considered for tissue donation. Family or next of kin may also do this, including after someone has died.

Donation (collection of tissues) needs to be within 24 to 48 hours of the person's death. The national referral centre (NRC), part of NHS Blood and Transplant, will arrange consent and the collection, if tissue donation is possible. With a few illnesses, donation is not possible. The clinical team and/or the NRC will inform the patient or family if this is the case.

Find out more

For more information on tissue donation after death, visit the NHS Organ Donation webpage .

Related pages

• Planning for death: it's important to think, talk about and plan for death. Here we look at physical and emotional and financial planning, considerations for your digital assets and the best way to share your plans.
• Making a will: ensure that you have your estate protected for those people you leave behind and know that your wishes will be upheld.
• Planning your funeral: for some people this can be a comforting thing to do and we give advice on paying for your funeral as well as the most important considerations when thinking about your own funeral.

The EPiC Resource Centre is kindly sponsored by Cleenol: working for a cleaner, safer, kinder world.