"The UK government has apologised to families of nuclear power plant workers whose organs were removed after their deaths without consent between 1955 and 1992. 'The events described in the Inquiry should never have happened in the first place,' said Energy Secretary Chris Huhne. 'We have learned the lessons of the past. The law on human tissue has been reviewed, and there is now a rigorous regulatory system in place.'
No one will be prosecuted as the scandal occurred so long ago. It has emerged that organs were removed from 62 workers at Sellafield and from 12 workers at other plants. Tissue removed and retained for research included livers, lungs, vertebrae, ribs, lymph nodes, spleens, kidneys, femurs, testes, brains, hearts and tongues.
The public became aware of the scandal at the Sellafield power plant in 2007. An inquiry by Sir Michael Redfern QC was established to look into the matter. He presented his report last week.
He found that pathologists were either unaware of, or oblivious to, requirements for consent from next of kin. They erroneously believed that they had carte blanche to remove organs and tissues for whatever reasons they saw fit. He was critical of the coroners, who often failed to read pathologists' post mortem reports, and thus were unaware that tissue had been removed inappropriately.
'There was a lack of ethical consideration of the implications of the research work the industry was doing, that there was limited supervision undertaken, and that relationships between pathologists, coroners and the Sellafield medical officers became too close,' said Mr Huhne.
Many of the relatives told the inquiry that they were shocked and distressed by the perceived lack of dignity and respect shown to the body. One told Sir Michael: 'My family and I have been absolutely devastated as a result of what has gone on... they showed severe disrespect to my father's body and I find this mutilation very disturbing.'" ~ Guardian, Nov 16; Nuclear Engineering International, Nov 16
http://www.bioedge.org/index.php/bioethics/bioethics_article/9314/
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