Body Donor Program frequently asked questions

1.) What is the relevant State legislation that allows for a person to donate their body to science?

In Queensland, the Transplantation and Anatomy Act 1979 is the relevant legislation relating to the removal of human tissue for a variety of purposes, including donations for anatomical purposes, and provides for the establishment of authorised schools of anatomy in Queensland. This legislation also regulates the receiving and disposal of bodies and the record-keeping and documentation required of schools of anatomy. In order to conduct our Body Donor Program, the University has to be authorised under this Act and show continuing compliance with the Act and the Regulation.

Copies of the Act and Regulation can be obtained at: Queensland Legislation - Transplantation and Anatomy Act 1979

Other states and territories in Australia similarly have legislation covering the use of donated human tissue.

You need to be aware that from time to time, the University may transfer donated bodies or body parts to other institutions in Australia, which have been similarly authorised, or may transfer tissue samples to authorised international facilities for approved studies

2.) How do I register my intention to donate my body to science?

You can register your intention to donate your body to science in four (4) easy steps:

Read and understand the information contained in this booklet.
Discuss your intentions with your next of kin, family and/or executor and ensure they agree (we advise that they read and understand this booklet too).
Complete the Body Donor Registration and Consent Form in full, make a second copy, then sign and have witnessed by two (2) persons, both copies of the consent form.
Forward one (1) signed and witnessed Body Donor Registration and Consent Form to the University at the address given on the consent form and keep one (1) with your records or your senior next of kin or the executor of your will. We also advise you to inform your medical practitioner of your intent to donate.

NB: Due to privacy laws, the University can only make changes to a living registered donor’s registration or provide confidential information of the registration to the senior available next of kin, with the express consent of the donor. In exceptional circumstances such as a registered donor’s deteriorating mental health, stroke or coma, exceptions may be made.

3.) Can my family donate my body on my behalf?

Yes. In the absence of a signed and witnessed consent form, the University may accept the donation of a deceased’s body from a senior available next of kin, provided they sign a Senior Available Next of Kin (SANOK) Confirmation and Consent Form, confirming that the deceased and no other immediate family members object to the donation.

It is the responsibility of the senior available next of kin to ensure that the immediate family agree to the donation when signing on behalf of the deceased and the family.

The University always acts in good faith when accepting a body donor consent from the senior available next of kin on behalf of the deceased and the family. The University therefore cannot be held liable for any false, incorrect or misleading information provided.

NB: Due to privacy laws, the University can only provide confidential information of a donor’s acceptance and use within the program to the senior available next of kin as listed on the donation paperwork. In any other case where another next of kin/family friend or legal representative requests information, this may only be provided with the express consent of the senior available next of kin or in their absence, the second next of kin listed on the Body Donor Registration and Consent Form

4.) What are the types of Body Donation?

All bodies are donated unconditionally to the University to be used in teaching, training, scientific studies and research for a period of between three (3) months and five (5) years. Any remains of a body not to be retained for ongoing teaching and research will be cremated at the University’s expense. As parts of the body may be kept for ongoing use, dependent on the way in which the body is used, the amount of ashes may vary significantly. The reasons for the significant differences in timeframes for the use of a donated body and the variations in the amount of ashes following cremation are discussed in detail in Questions 12 and 14.

The donation type you choose relates to your preference for dispersal of the ashes following cremation.

You have two (2) choices:

Under a TYPE 1 Donation, following cremation the ashes will be offered to your next of kin, as nominated on your Body Donor Registration and Consent Form, or their nominee, free of charge for their own memorialisation. (Please read Questions 14, 15 and 16 for more information). If your nominated next of kin’s contact details change during the time your body is in the University’s care, we ask that they contact us to provide the new details so that we can update our records.

Under a TYPE 2 Donation, your ashes may be scattered or interred in a cemetery of the University’s choice, with no further contact with your next of kin.

NB: Only donors who tick this option may be considered for inclusion in the skeletisation program as detailed in Question 12.

5.) If I’ve signed my consent form and I die, will the University definitely accept my body?

No. A signed consent form does not guarantee acceptance. The donation becomes official only after the physical acceptance of the body in our mortuary facility (including a signed Form 9 Death Certificate) together with a signed Senior Available Next of Kin (SANOK) Confirmation Consent Form. Acceptance is dependent on a number of factors including the condition of the body at the time of death. (These factors and conditions are outlined in Question 9).

6.) Once I’ve signed my form, can I or anyone else revoke my consent or change my donation type?

Yes. If you as the intending donor change your mind, you may revoke your consent to the UQ Body Donor Program either in writing or via email. If you decide to change your donation type, we will forward a new ‘Body Donor Registration and Consent Form’ for you to fill out and have witnessed, as outlined in Question 2. Changes of address or next of kin details may also be made at any time by you, either in writing or via email.

You also need to be aware that your next of kin can override your wishes after your death and revoke your consent, prior to the physical acceptance of the body at the University. It is therefore essential your family know and understand your wishes and feel comfortable in carrying them through. Once the body has been physically accepted by the University, the donation is final and unconditional.

Following your death, there could always be circumstances where it may be difficult for members of your grieving family to cope with the decision to offer your body for donation or disagree with the donation type. If the senior available next of kin decides to revoke the consent after your death for any reason, they wish to change the donation type or other close family members object to the donation, the University will abide by their wishes. This is why, in the event of your death, the University also requires a signed ‘Senior Available Next of Kin (SANOK) Confirmation and Consent Form’ to be signed by them if the donation is to proceed.

7.) If The University of Queensland says they can’t accept my body for any reason, can I donate my body to another University in Queensland?

8.) If the University has my signed consent, what happens after my death?

After the death of a potential donor, the UQ Body Donor Program must be contacted immediately by the next of kin or by attending medical or nursing staff to begin the process of assessing suitability for donation against our strict criteria (see Question 9 for more information) and if suitable, arranging transfer to the University.

If the death occurs after hours, information will be provided in our recorded phone message on your options to contact our chosen funeral service provider(s).

If the death occurs at home or a nursing home, the timeframe from death to our notification is critical, due to the absence of refrigeration. Should a donor pass away at a personal residence or a nursing home, a doctor/ambulance service/nurse/ police or treating general practitioner, must be contacted immediately to attend the location to certify death. They will also ensure the death does not need to be reported to the Coroner. The death will be certified by the signing of either a ‘Form 9, Cause of Death Certificate’ by the treating general practitioner or ‘Life Extinct’ form by qualified professionals. This form will remain with the donor.

The next of kin may then contact our chosen funeral service provider to care for the deceased until the donor program is able to assess the donor’s suitability for donation. You should be aware that if you contact an alternative funeral company, you may be charged for this initial transfer. To ascertain suitability, Body Donor Program staff will also require additional information from the next of kin, medical/nursing staff and/or access to your medical records, as authorised on the original consent form.

If the death occurs at a hospital, the timeframe from death to our notification is still urgent, however refrigeration will allow us to assess and receive a potential donor up to three (3) days after death. The treating medical practitioner in the hospital will certify death by the signing of a ‘Form 9, Cause of Death Certificate’ and determine if the death needs to be reported to the Coroner. This form will remain with the donor and a copy provided to the Body Donor Program to assist in our assessment process.

NB: An independent doctor, on behalf of the University, will also assess the ‘Form 9, Cause of Death Certificate’ to determine if the death needs to be reported to the Coroner

In order to ensure the University has timely access to your full health record in the event of your death, you may consider enrolling in the Australian Government’s My Health Record program, either online or through your General Practitioner’s office. More information about this program can be accessed through the website myhealthrecord.gov.au.

Unless immediately deemed unsuitable for donation, the body (if within a 150km radius of the Brisbane CBD) will be transferred to our mortuary by the University’s chosen funeral service provider(s) at no cost to the family unless you have chosen to pay your preferred funeral director for the transfer. If the death occurs after hours or on the weekend, the body may be transferred into the funeral service provider’s care (Please read Question 11 for more information). Once transferred to our mortuary, a physical inspection of the body by our staff will then determine final acceptance.

Body Donor Program staff, or the funeral service provider(s), will also arrange for the collection of the original Form 9 ‘Cause of Death Certificate’ and we will provide the Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages with the relevant details in order for the process of the formal registration of the death to occur.

As it may be years before any remains are released for cremation, the family may also choose to memorialise their loved one at this time by conducting a memorial service, placing a memorial within the University section of any of the University’s previously chosen cemeteries, within a cemetery of their choice, or make their own private arrangements. If required, the University will provide the chosen cemetery with written proof of the acceptance of the donation to ensure memorialisation can occur in a timely manner.

9.) What conditions will prevent the University from accepting my body?

It is a common misconception from both intending donors and their next of kin, that a signed Body Donor Registration and Consent Form will guarantee acceptance by the University of an intended donation. This is not the case.

The University currently only accepts 80 to 130 donors per annum to support the varied streams of use of a donated body (see Question 12 for more information). Due to the overwhelming generosity of Queenslanders, currently 13,000 intending donors are registered with the UQ Body Donor Program and over 220 of these intending donors die each year.

Unfortunately, this means that the University can only ever accept around 50% of those intending body donors registered with our program after their death occurs.

It is therefore critical that any intending donor is aware of this fact, informs their next of kin and has made, or is prepared for, alternative funeral arrangements should the University be unable to accept the body.

The University may not be able to accept if the intending donor:

has been deceased for more than three (3) days;
has any communicable condition that may be passed on after death (e.g. HIV (Human immunodeficiency virus), Hepatitis A, B or C, Tuberculosis (TB), Methicillin Resistant Staph Aurous (MRSA), Vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) or has ever had a notifiable condition (a full list is included in the BDP booklet);
has been significantly altered by certain medical conditions or procedures, including amputation;
has undergone an autopsy;
has undergone whole organ donation;
Has Creutzfeld-Jakob Disease (CJD), dementia of an unknown cause or is suspected of having a communicable condition;
has jaundice;
where the death is reportable to the Coroner;
is obese or emaciated;
cannot be transferred to our mortuary within three (3) days.

NB: Some of these conditions/procedures may NOT immediately exclude you from our program and the University may make exceptions in some cases. Each donation will be assessed on a case-by-case basis. If you believe you have a condition which may prevent you from donating your body, please call the UQ Body Donor Program office for clarification, prior to registering.

Other reasons why the University cannot accept an intended donation include:

body storage or preparation limitations;
planned University shutdowns (e.g. Christmas/ New Year break);
building refurbishments, building works or extreme weather events.

10.) If my body is not suitable for any reason, what happens then?

If the body is not suitable for donation, the senior available next of kin will be notified as soon as the decision is made, so they can prepare alternative funeral arrangements.

As we can never guarantee acceptance and are only able to accept around 50% of those intending body donors registered with our program after their death occurs, The University of Queensland cannot be held liable for any costs incurred through the non-acceptance of an intended donation for any reason.

11.) If my body is suitable for body donation what happens then?

The body will be transferred by our chosen funeral service provider to the mortuary of the Gross Anatomy Facility, School of Biomedical Sciences at The University of Queensland at no cost to the next of kin. The University is unable to pay for transport of a body from further than 150km from the Brisbane General Post Office (GPO).

NB: If the family or executor wishes to pay for the transfer of a body over a distance greater than 150km, a rate may be negotiated with the University’s chosen funeral service provider or a Funeral Director of their choosing, with the expense borne by the next of kin or executor. If you have a pre-paid funeral, the funeral director you have chosen may conduct the transfer.

Once accepted, the body will receive a unique identifying number, be cleansed with decontaminant solution and undergo either an embalming process that will preserve the tissues in a sterile condition OR be sealed in plastic tubing, placed in a body bag and immediately frozen. The body will then be placed into our secure refrigerated or freezer facilities until required. The studies of an embalmed body may extend over a number of years and in some cases, selected parts will be kept indefinitely for ongoing use in teaching, training, scientific studies and research. The use of an un-embalmed frozen body will generally be for a shorter timeframe, however selected parts may also be kept indefinitely for use in teaching, training, scientific studies and research.

12.) How is my body going to be used and why are some parts kept, even when the rest of the remains are being released?

As the consent form states, the University intends to use the body in “whatever way is deemed most beneficial to the interests of science”. You must be aware that:

We will utilise the body as completely as possible for teaching, training, scientific studies and research in any authorised institution in Australia and some international research locations;
Some parts may be kept indefinitely, being dissected, plastinated, displayed or retained for teaching, training, scientific studies or research;
Some bodies may be frozen, used in postgraduate surgical training or research and the remains released within only a few months;
Any remains that may cause a potential risk to staff or students will be disposed of through cremation under Queensland Health guidelines and may not be released with the rest of the remains when they are no longer required;
In almost every case, once in the University system, the “whole” body can never be released for cremation. Only the ‘remains’ no longer required for use will be returned.

So that there is no misconception as to how the body may be used, some examples of parts that may be removed and retained indefinitely for teaching, training scientific studies and research and cremated or disposed of as clinical waste are:

Sections of the body dissected and/or plastinated to display anatomical features such as muscles, ligaments, nerves and vessels, labelled and used in our anatomical collection over many years (plastination is a process where the water in a dissected specimen is replaced with a polymer that is then cured, rendering the whole specimen ‘plastic’, dry and safe to handle);
Sections of the body, individual bones, organs or muscles removed for research into certain conditions or diseases, or to better understand the structure and composition of the body (whether chemical, molecular or macroscopic structure);
The entire skeleton removed and prepared as part of the ‘Skeletisation Program’, to provide a teaching and research collection of skeletal material of known origin. You need to be aware that if your body is used for this program, the skeletisation technique requires the removal by dissection of all of the soft tissues from the body, followed by cleansing of the bone by both natural (dermestid beetle) and chemical processes, prior to final permanent labelling and addition to the collection.

NB: Only those donors who tick the TYPE 2 donation option may be considered for inclusion in the skeletisation program, as there will be little to no ashes resulting after cremation of the rest of the remains. If you do not wish your body to be used in the skeletisation program, please ensure you tick the ‘TYPE 1’ Donation option on the consent form).

Body fluids, blood, small sections of skin, bone, fat, muscle and fascia (other types of connective tissues) removed during routine dissection, research, surgical training or the demonstration of new and innovative surgical approaches.

NB: These may be disposed of via cremation as per Queensland Health guidelines or may be disposed of as clinical waste (the same process as for contaminated drapes etc., in hospital surgical procedures).

The retention of some parts of the donated body is critical to ensure that we carry through with your wishes to use the body as completely as possible to further advance the interests of science. In addition, the University must always protect the health and safety of our staff, students and health professionals through the timely disposal of any fluids or tissues from the remains of a donor which may cause a potential health risk.

As parts of the body may be kept for ongoing use, dependent on the way in which the body is used, the amount of ashes following cremation may vary significantly.

The School uses numbered identification tag systems together with corresponding registers to identify the donor’s remains and maintain confidentiality. Whilst we make every effort to tag and track all donor remains through the process, there will always be some cases where tissues or specimens from a donor can no longer be identified, either through extensive use or deterioration, the accidental loss of an identifying tag or because they were removed to ensure the health and safety of our students and staff. Unidentified material is NEVER mixed with the identifiable remains of a donor and WILL always be disposed of via cremation as per Queensland Health guidelines.

With advances in medical diagnostic procedures, forensic methodologies, surgical and medical device development and digital teaching resources, a vast array of existing and emerging techniques may be required to further trace, study, examine or test a donated body in support of approved teaching, training, scientific studies and research. These techniques include but are not limited to: Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), Computer Tomography (CT), plain X-ray including fluoroscopy, endoscopy, digital photography, DNA analysis, biomechanical testing, molecular and chemical tissue studies, etc.

Some of the more specific uses of different types of images, body parts or tissue samples of a body may be, but are not limited to:

Display of anatomical structures for student learning resources or to support student examinations on UQ-controlled devices or password protected sites
Training of surgeons in both hands-on and remote surgical navigation and minimally invasive procedures and advanced surgical techniques • Anatomical research projects and/or the development of medical/ surgical devices or safety devices, including biomechanical testing
Further screening of donors to ascertain their suitability for specific uses in our programs and the tracking of donor remains
Development of advanced forensic facial recognition, fingerprinting and other identification techniques or protective concepts used by defence, police and other security agencies for the identification, repatriation and/or protection of Australian citizens.

All approved use of a donor’s body within the UQ School of Anatomy is subject to strict policy and procedures. In accordance with the Transplantation and Anatomy Act 1979, anatomical examinations are conducted in a quiet, orderly and decent manner, respecting the generosity of the donor. The governance and practices of the School of Anatomy, including the Body Donor Program and the Gross Anatomy Facility (GAF), are overseen by the School of Anatomy Custodian. The School of Anatomy Custodian receives advice on the management of the School of Anatomy from the:

Ethics Advisory Group
School of Anatomy Assurance Committee
Chief Anatomist
Gross Anatomy Facility Manager
Body Donor Program Manager
The University’s OHS Division and OHS managers
The Anatomy Teaching and Research Management Committee.

In addition, the University participates in an annual compliance assurance process, overseen by Queensland Health that ensures our receipt, custody and subsequent interment procedures and processes are in keeping with regulatory requirements and current industry standards. Our facilities are regularly inspected as part of this process.

IMPORTANT: If you have any issues or concerns with regard to your body being dissected, remains being sectioned, parts being imaged or kept for ongoing display or teaching, or with parts being used by The University of Queensland or other approved institutions for any approved teaching, training scientific studies or research as described, then we advise you NOT to proceed with donating your body, as this IS how your body will be used.

13.) What is the procedure for releasing the remains when they are no longer required?

The identified remains are placed in a numbered coffin and an ‘Application for a Permission to Cremate’ made by the University to an independent doctor on the next of kin’s behalf. Your next of kin will also be notified in writing of the intended release unless clearly requested otherwise. A physical inspection of the remains is then carried out by the independent doctor, witnessed by staff of the Body Donor Program and Gross Anatomy Facility and the formal release paperwork signed.

Once these steps are completed, the remains can be transferred to a crematorium of the University’s choice by the funeral service provider or crematorium staff, for cremation at the University’s expense. The timing of the release of the remains will occur at the discretion of the University.

14.) How long will it take to release the remains no longer required for use?

As explained in Question 4, all bodies are donated unconditionally to the University to be used in teaching, training, scientific studies and research for a period varying between three (3) months and five (5) years. Whilst these timeframes vary significantly dependent on the use of the body, in the majority of cases, donor remains are usually used by the University within approximately 3 years from the time of acceptance, and subsequently released for cremation. Individuals selected for the skeletisation program under a ‘TYPE 2’ donation, will have their skeletons used in teaching and research indefinitely and no ashes will be available for release.

15.) If the remains ‘no longer required’ are to be cremated, will my next of kin have the ashes returned and if so, what ashes will be left if the University has kept parts of my body for continued use in advancing science?

16.) What if my family wants to have a memorial service?

Your relatives may wish to organise a memorial service either privately or through their chosen Funeral Director when your body is in the process of being assessed for acceptance by the University. Your next of kin should be made aware that the body can only be present at a private memorial service, provided the time from the death to the service does not fall outside of the acceptance criteria outlined in Question 9. Your next of kin will also be responsible for any costs incurred through a private memorial service.

The University of Queensland holds a biennial Thanksgiving Ceremony to honour our body donors and recognise the support provided by donor families in making this decision. This ceremony acknowledges the significant impact the program has made towards the advancement of teaching, training, scientific studies and research in Queensland.

Families of past donors, University staff, students, community representatives and members of the public are invited to attend this important University event.

We also encourage the attendance of our students undertaking courses with an anatomy component, in order to underscore the privilege they have been given to study and dissect the human body, an opportunity not available in many parts of the world.

The names of all donors accepted into the program are confidentially scribed for posterity in the UQ Book of Remembrance, handcrafted in parchment and leather.