Donation
Donated bodily material for medicine and research, such as organs, eggs and sperm, are in high demand, and current levels of donation fall short of need.
This report sets out guidance to help people consider the ethical acceptibility of various ways of encouraging people to donate, both for treatment of others and for scientific research.
read more »Public health
Some people object to the ‘nanny state’ whilst others want more measures to tackle problems like obesity and binge drinking.
This report considers what the Government, industry and individuals should do to enable people to lead a healthy life.
read more »Human bodies - Fact finding meeting
Members of the Working Party met with regulators in June 2010 to discuss various aspects of the regulatory framework where human biological material is used in medicine and research.
Representatives from several regulatory bodies attended the meeting, including speakers from the World Health Organization, Department of Health, the Commission on Human Medicines, the Human Tissue Authority, the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority, the National Research Ethics Service, and nominees of the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry.
read more »Launch of consultation on human bodies in medicine and research
The Council launched a public consultation on human bodies in medicine and research on 20 April 2010.
The Working Party is seeking people's views on a number of questions, including:
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How far should we as a society go in encouraging or even incentivising people to provide material?
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What control should a person providing material have over its future use?
Can we ethically increase organ, egg and sperm donation?
Should more people be expected to donate organs, eggs and sperm and, if so, how far can we ethically go in encouraging them to donate, asks the Nuffield Council on Bioethics in a consultation launched today. The Council is calling for the public’s views on how we should respond to the current demand for organs, sperm, eggs and other human material for use in medical treatment and research.
Professor Dame Marilyn Strathern, the Chair of the inquiry, said:
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