North East Herts MP Oliver Heald is supporting a move in Parliament to improve availability of human tissue for medical research and is backing Early Day Motion 380, which reads:
“This House recognises the immense value of human tissue to medical research and the development of safe and effective medicines; regrets that researchers, both academic and commercial, struggle to obtain the tissues they need; and calls on the Government to facilitate the donation, retrieval and supply of this life-saving and life-enhancing resource through a number of measures, including the provision of the necessary infrastructure in hospitals, reducing the level of bureaucracy involved, working to increase awareness amongst the public and the health professions of the overwhelming need for tissues and giving all patients the opportunity to donate for research surplus tissues from surgery, which would otherwise be incinerated, if they wish to do so.”
Oliver has recently visited Asterand in Royston, which is a company specialising in using human tissue to test drugs and medical procedures.
Commenting, Oliver Heald said, “Asterand are world leaders in human tissue research using surplus tissue from surgery. This method of testing is more effective than animal research and is being used increasingly. All the work done by the company is to the highest ethical standards. I am supporting moves to ensure that there are proper procedures in hospitals to ensure that surplus tissue from operations is available and I am sure that this will also meet the concerns of many animal lovers.”
The photograph shows Oliver Heald with Asterand UK CEO Martyn Coombs